Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts for an extended period of time (i.e., decades to millions of years). Climate change may refer to a change in average weather conditions, or in the time variation of weather around longer-term average conditions (i.e., more or fewer extreme […]
“Clam” is an informal term used to refer to bivalve molluscs. They first appeared in Cambrian age rocks 510 million years ago. [1] They presently live in both freshwater and marine habitats, and range in adult size from nearly microscopic to the giant clam, which can weigh 200 kilograms (440 lbs). Some have life cycles […]
Ginkgo is a genus of highly unusual non-flowering plants. The scientific name is also used as the English name. The order to which it belongs, Ginkgoales, first appeared in the Permian,[4] 250 million years ago, possibly derived from “seed ferns” of the order Peltaspermales. The rate of evolution within the genus has been slow, and […]
Lycoptera is a genus of fish that lived from the late Jurassic to Cretaceous periods in present-day China, Korea,Mongolia and Siberia. It is known from abundant fossils representing sixteen species, which serve as importantindex fossil used to date geologic formations in China. Along with the genus Peipiaosteus, Lycoptera has been considered a defining member of […]
Pterodactylus (/ˌtɛrəˈdæktɨləs/ terr-ə-dak-til-əs, from the Greek πτεροδάκτυλος, pterodaktulos, meaning “winged finger”) is a genus of pterosaurs, whose members are popularly known as pterodactyls ( /ˌtɛrəˈdæktɨlz/). It is currently thought to contain only a single species, Pterodactylus antiquus, the first pterosaur species to be named and identified as a flying reptile. The fossil remains of this […]
Jeholopterus was a small anurognathid pterosaur from the Daohugou Beds of northeastern China (of uncertain age, probably Middle or Late Jurassic), between 168 and 152 million years ago[1]), preserved with hair and skin remains. The type species is based on holotype IVPP V12705, a nearly complete specimen from the Daohugou beds of Ningcheng County in […]