Crétacé inférieur

Pliosaurus (Luskhan itilensis) lived on the territory of the Volga region in the Hauterivian age of the Early Cretaceous period. Discovered in 2002 by G.N. Uspensky on the banks of the Volga near the village of Slantsevy Rudnik. This is the most complete pliosaurus skeleton found in Russia. This pliosaurus was not a predator and preferred to feed on fish and cephalopods.

Reconstruction of brachauchenin pliosaurid Luskhan itilensis. Early Cretaceous of Ulyanovsk region. 2017.

Comptonatus is an iguanodontid ornithopod dinosaur that lived about 125 million years ago, in the Early Cretaceous of what is now Europe. It was a medium sized herbivore at about 7 m in length, and weighed around 1 t in body mass. Fossilized footprints found near the original specimen indicate that Comptonatus was likely a herding animal. Comparisons between Comptonatus and other iguanodontids that lived around the same time and region show a high rate of diversity. This indicates there may have been pressure for speedy evolutionary adaptation in the region, or perhaps a high volume of migration.

Left dentary of rebbachisaurid sauropod Demandasaurus darwini gen. et sp. nov. from Late Barremian–Early Aptian, Early Cretaceous of Tenadas de los Vallejos II, Spain, MDS−RVII,443, in lateral (A) and dorsal (B) views. The arrow indicates a depressed area in a dorsolateral position.

Life restoration of Cearadactylus atrox. Based on figure 2 of "On the systematic relationships of Cearadactylus atrox, an enigmatic Early Cretaceous pterosaur from the Santana Formation of Brazil" by D. M. Unwin Mitteilungen Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Geowissenschaftlichen Reihe 5: 239-263

Figure 1: Geographic distribution of Early Cretaceous iguanodontians in North America. Taxa found at each locality are as follows: (A) Dakotadon lakotaensis; (B) Osmakasaurus depressus; (C) Tenontosaurus tilletti, Tenontosaurus dossi; (D) Tenontosaurus tilletti; (E) Theiophytalia kerri; (F) Cedrorestes crichtoni, Planicoxa venenica; (G) Hippodraco scutodens; (H) Iguanacolossus fortis; (I) Tenontosaurus sp; (J) Tenontosaurus tilletti.

Figure 1: Geographic distribution of Early Cretaceous iguanodontians in North America. Taxa found at each locality are as follows: (A) Dakotadon lakotaensis; (B) Osmakasaurus depressus; (C) Tenontosaurus tilletti, Tenontosaurus dossi; (D) Tenontosaurus tilletti; (E) Theiophytalia kerri; (F) Cedrorestes crichtoni, Planicoxa venenica; (G) Hippodraco scutodens; (H) Iguanacolossus fortis; (I) Tenontosaurus sp; (J) Tenontosaurus tilletti.

A map showing the distribution of paraves in Early Cretaceous with respective paleogeographic setting.

A photograph of partial specimen American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) 22555, skull without mandible, of Anhanguera sp. (formerly often assigned to Anhanguera santanae),[1] from the Early Cretaceous Romualdo Formation (former Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation) of NE Brazil in right lateral view.

A photograph of partial specimen American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) 22555, anterior dorsal vertebrae, dorsal ribs and partial shoulder girdle (at least right scapula) of Anhanguera sp. (formerly often assigned to Anhanguera santanae),[1] from the Early Cretaceous Romualdo Formation (former Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation) of NE Brazil in dorsal view.

A photograph of partial specimen American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) 22555, posterior dorsal vertebrae, and the sacrum and pelvis (both iliae, and right ischium and pubis) of Anhanguera sp. (formerly often assigned to Anhanguera santanae),[1] from the Early Cretaceous Romualdo Formation (former Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation) of NE Brazil in dorsal view.

Leptocleidus capensis, a plesiosaur from the Early Cretaceous of South Africa, pencil drawing, digital coloring

A more complete specimen of Wapuskanectes betsynichollsae. TMP2012.50.1. (A) Dorsal view of the originally upside down remains recovered from north of the town of Fort McMurray, Alberta. The head and most of the neck were lost when intercepted by a grader during road construction. The right flipper was lost sometime in the Early Cretaceous prior to the final burial of the body. (B) The pelvic and abdominal regions of TMP2012.50.1 showing gastroliths (black arrows) within the body cavity that settled between the ribs of the inverted carcass and hint at a more substantial collection that is hidden inside the body cavity. Scale bars on body regions are 10 cm. Source credit: Sue Sabrowski, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.

Jeholopterus ningchengensus Wang, Zhou, Zhang, and Xu, 2002, IVPP V 12705, Lower Yixian Formation (Early Cretaceous), China.

New wing skeleton of Forfexopterus (SDUST-V1003) from Jiufotang Formation of Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota in Jianchang, western Liaoning, northeastern China. Abbreviations: ca, carpus; co, coracoid portion; hu, humerus; mc, metacarpals I–IV; mdI–III, manual digits I–III; pt, pteroid; ra, radius; sc, scapular portion; ul, ulna; wp1–4, wing phalanges 1–4.

Ningchengopterus liuae, early Cretaceous of China. digital.