377Mesozoic
Paracyclotosaurus
Paracyclotosaurus davidi
A near-complete skeleton reveals the full proportions of a giant Triassic amphibian.
LIFE ARCHIVE
570 vanished lives
Browse extinct life from traces nearly 1.9 billion years old to historically recorded extinctions.
Explore geological time
Paleozoic
- Cambrian538.8–486.85 million years ago34 records ↗
- Ordovician486.85–443.1 million years ago12 records ↗
- Silurian443.1–419.62 million years ago14 records ↗
- Devonian419.62–358.86 million years ago41 records ↗
- Carboniferous358.86–298.9 million years ago60 records ↗
- Permian298.9–251.902 million years ago51 records ↗
Geography
Explore the atlas by continent, country and state. Follow fossil localities into regional guides, compare animals across time and return to the evidence in each species profile.
Dinosaurs by continent
Countries and states
- Dinosaurs of the United States13 atlas records ↗
- Dinosaurs of Canada7 atlas records ↗
- Dinosaurs of the United Kingdom5 atlas records ↗
- Dinosaurs Found in Texas1 atlas records ↗
- Dinosaurs Found in Montana4 atlas records ↗
- Dinosaurs Found in Argentina11 atlas records ↗
- Dinosaurs Found in China10 atlas records ↗
FIELD GUIDES
Field guides
Giants, strange body plans and lives within human memory. Follow a question into the atlas, then explore the animals behind it.
380Mesozoic
Haidomyrmex
Haidomyrmex cerberus
Its sickle mandibles closed upward against the head instead of sideways.
381Mesozoic
Linguamyrmex
Linguamyrmex vladi
A metal-reinforced head horn and rising jaws formed a specialized clamp.
382Mesozoic
Ceratomyrmex
Ceratomyrmex ellenbergeri
A long forehead horn opposed upward-curving mandibles.
383Mesozoic
Camelomecia
Camelomecia janovitzi
An elongated prothorax gave this aculeate relative a neck-like outline.
384Mesozoic
Aptenoperissus
Aptenoperissus burmanicus
Wingless females combined a wasp waist with enlarged jumping hind legs.
385Mesozoic
Manipulator
Manipulator modificaputis
A long neck and grasping forelegs converged on the mantis body plan.
386Mesozoic
Alienopterus
Alienopterus brachyelytrus
Short leathery forewings covered folded membranous hindwings.
387Mesozoic
Chresmoda
Chresmoda obscura
Six extremely long legs may have spread its weight across the water surface.
388Mesozoic
Mesopsyche
Mesopsyche dobrokhotovae
A long siphon accessed sugary secretions before flowers evolved.
389Mesozoic
Tarwinia
Tarwinia australis
It resembled a giant primitive flea but may not be a direct flea ancestor.
396Mesozoic
Mickoleitia
Mickoleitia longimanus
Raptorial forelegs and three tail filaments formed a lost mayfly body plan.
397Mesozoic
Mesotitan
Mesotitan giganteus
Large wings and robust mouthparts belonged to the spectacular titanopterans.
398Mesozoic
Discoscapa
Discoscapa apicula
Pollen on the legs and body records an early pollination relationship.
401Mesozoic
Palaeoagaracites
Palaeoagaracites antiquus
A millimeter-scale cap and gills show agaric mushrooms in the dinosaur era.
402Mesozoic
Archaeomarasmius
Archaeomarasmius leggettii
A slender stem and tiny cap already resembled marasmioid mushrooms.
403Mesozoic
Gondwanagaricites
Gondwanagaricites magnificus
A mineralized cap brings early agaric evidence to the southern continents.
407Mesozoic
Gerontomyces
Gerontomyces lepidotus
Hyphae surrounding a scale insect preserve a tiny Cretaceous association.
408Mesozoic
Palaeoclavaria
Palaeoclavaria burmitis
Simple club-shaped fruiting bodies show non-gilled fungi in Cretaceous forests.
417Mesozoic
Solenopora
Solenopora jurassica
Pink calcified masses were long assigned to red algae, but their identity is being reassessed.
420Mesozoic
Pleuromeia
Pleuromeia sternbergii
Columnar lycophytes formed pioneer stands after the end-Permian catastrophe.
421Mesozoic
Dicroidium
Dicroidium odontopteroides
Paired forked fronds became an emblem of Triassic southern vegetation.
424Mesozoic
Podozamites
Podozamites lanceolatus
Orderly lance-shaped leaves lined stems of a widespread but enigmatic plant.
427Mesozoic
Strashila
Strashila incredibilis
Once imagined as a parasite, it was later shown to have an aquatic juvenile stage.