Glossary

I’ve realized that, sometimes, all the lists of scientific names and binomial nomenclature can be a little intimidating to the casual reader. Google, of course, is a great resource to learn about many of these animals, but sometimes extinct genera can be challenging to find online. To help with this, I’ve put together a glossary of names I’ve used for the various formations listed. I’ll be back to update this list periodically.

Alamitophis – a genus of small, boa-like madtsoiid snake.

Albanerpetontidae – superficially salamander-like lissamphibians.

Aletridelphys – a genus of superficially opossum-like peradectid didelphoid marsupial.

Alostera – a genus of zhelestid theriiform eutherian mammal.

Alphadon – a genus of superficially possum-like alphadontid marsupial.

Amblysiphonella – a genus of calcareous demosponge.

Aquilapollenites – a genus of exotic fossil angiosperm plant pollen.

Araceae – arum flowering plants.

Archosauria – archosaur crurotarsans, including crocodiles, dinosaurs, and pterosaurs.

Arecaceae – palm trees.

Arecipites – a genus of palm tree.

Argentodites – a genus of small multituberculate or gondwanatherian mammal.

Asteracanthus – a genus of small hybodontid shark.

Atrochaetetes – a genus of marine demosponge.

Azendohsaurus – a genus of herbivorous archosauromorph reptile.

Azolla – a genus of aquatic floating fern.

Azollopsis – a genus of aquatic floating fern represented by fossil pollen.

Balmeisporites – a genus of aquatic floating fern represented by fossil pollen.

Batodon - a genus of small or medium-sized rodent or possum-like, non-placental cimolestid eutherian mammal.

Boidae – the boa snake family.

Borealosuchus – genus of extinct crocodilian.

Botryococcus – a genus of green algae in the Botryococcaceae family.

Chamops – a genus of slender, omnivorous polyglyphanodontian lizard.

Champsosaurus – a genus of superficially crocodile-like choristoderan diapsid reptile.

Cheirolepidiaceae – a family of extinct conifers superficially resembling palms.

Chelidae – a family of turtles including the mata mata and other snake-necked turtles.

Chiniquodon – a genus of squat, carnivorous cynodont synapsid.

Cimolestes – a genus of small or medium-sized rodent or possum-like, non-placental eutherian mammal.

Cimolodon – a genus of rodent-like multituberculate mammal.

Cimolomys – a genus of rat-like multituberculate mammal.

Classopollis – a genus of the extinct Cheirolepidiaceae conifers.

Coloniatherium – a genus of small dryolestoid mammal.

Colobodontidae – a family of aerodynamically formed perleidiform fish.

Colpodontosaurus – a genus of necrosaurid monitor lizards.

Costatheca – a genus of mollusks with small conical shells or a genus of plant spore.

Crocodylia – crocodilians like alligators and crocodiles.

Crocodylidae – crocodiles.

Crybelosporites – a genus of semiaquatic fern.

Cryptocoelia – a genus of marine demosponge.

Cyathidites – a genus for fossils fern spores.

Cyclurus – a genus of bowfin fish.

Dadadon – a genus of squat, herbivorous traversodontid synapsid.

Dendronella – a genus of red algae.

Dicksonia – a genus of broad-fronded tree ferns.

Dicotyledoneae – plants with broad leaves and branching veins.

Dictyothylakos – a genus of plant spore.

Didelphodon – a genus of semiaquatic alphadontid marsupial.

Elasmosauridae – a family of large, long-necked plesiosaurs.

Enantiornithes – birds with small teeth and wing claws.

Erlansonisporites – a genus of plant spore.

Fungi – mushrooms and their relatives.

Gleicheniidites – a genus for fossil fern spores.

Gypsonictops – a genus of shrew or gerbil-like leptictidan placental mammal.

Haptosphenus – a genus of whiptail lizard.

Hyperodapedon – a genus of hyperodapedontid rhynchosaur with a squat posture and a sharp beak.

Inaperturotetradites – a genus of monocot plant.

Intratriporopollenites – a genus in the Malvaceae family of shrubby plants.

Isalorhynchus – a genus of hyperodapedontid rhynchosaur with a squat posture and a sharp beak.

Jablonskyia – a genus of marine demosponge.

Kannemeyeriiformes – large dicynodont synapsids.

Lepisosteus – a genus of gar fish.

Leptalestes – a genus of opossum-like peradectid metatherian marsupial.

Lugiomarsiglia – a genus of small semi-aquatic fern.

Lygistepollenites – a genus in the Podocarpaceae family of conifers having thin, flat leaves.

Mammalia – mammals.

Margarosmilia – a genus of stony coral.

Madtsoiidae – a family of basal boa-like snakes.

Meiolaniidae – a family of large turtles with heavily armored heads and tails.

Menadon – a genus of squat, herbivorous traversodontid synapsid.

Mesodma – a genus of rodent-like cimolodontan multituberculate mammal.

Metoposauridae – a family of temnospondyl amphibians that appeared like giant, aquatic salamanders.

Metoposaurus – a genus of metoposaurid amphibian that looked like a giant salamander.

Microcarpolithes – a genus of trace fossil interpreted as the coprolites (fossil poop) of termites.

Microchacrydites – a genus in the Podocarpaceae conifers having thin, flat leaves.

Mirasolita – a genus of small semi-aquatic fern.

Molaspora – a genus of small semi-aquatic fern.

Mougeotia – a genus of single-celled green algae in the Zygnemataceae.

Myledaphus – a genus of mackerel shark.

Nelumbo – a genus of lotus flowering plant.

Nelumbonaceae – lotus flowering plants.

Nortedelphys – a genus of opossum-like herpetotheriid metatherian marsupial.

Odaxosaurus – a genus of robust anguid lizard.

Osteopygis – a genus of sea turtles.

Osteichthyes – bony fish.

Paleoazolla – a genus of small aquatic ferns.

Pandaniidites – a genus of arum flowering plant.

Paracimexomys – an extinct genus of rodent-like multituberculate mammal.

Paraderma – an extinct genus of venomous gila monster.

Parasaniwa – a genus of necrosaurid monitor lizards.

Patagoniaemys – a genus of mongolochelyid turtle similar to the Meiolaniidae.

Pediastrum – a genus of green algae in the Hydrodictyaceae.

Pediomys – a genus of superficially opossum-like pediomyid didelphoid marsupial.

Peishanemys – a genus of dermatemydid kinosternoid river turtle.

Peninsulapollis – a genus in the Proteaceae plants.

Phytosauria – superficially crocodile-like crurotarsan archosauriforms.

Phytosauridae- a family of superficially crocodile-like phytosaur crurotarsans.

Podocarpidites – a genus in the conifer family Podocarpaceae having thin, flat leaves.

Procolophonidae – a family of procolophonomorph parareptiles that looked like short, fat lizards.

Pseudosuchia – crocodilians and similar animals.

Ptilodontidae – a family of rodent-like, cimolodontan multituberculate mammals.

Regnellidium – a genus of small, semi-aquatic fern.

Reigitherium – a genus of small, possibly dryolestoid, mammal.

Reptilia – reptiles.

Rhynchosauria – archosauromorph reptiles with squat postures and sharp beaks.

Semionotidae – a family of disk-shaped semionotiform fish.

Serpentes – snakes.

Schowalteria – a genus of large, non-placental, taeniodontan cimolestan eutherian.

Sparganiaceaepollenites – a genus of cattail or bur-reed plant.

Spermatites – a genus of fossil plant spore.

Sphenodontia – lizard-like rhynchocephalian lepidosaurians such as tuatara.

Spirogira – a genus of single-celled green algae in the Zygnemataceae.

Solenopora – a genus of red algae.

Stegocephali – basal tetrapods with flat heads, like Ichthyostega.

Stypodontosaurus – a genus of slender polyglyphanodontian lizard.

Sulcusuchus - a genus of polycotylid plesiosaur.

Synapsida – mammal-like reptiles such as Cotylorhynchus, Dimetrododon, or Gorgonops.

Testudines – turtles and tortoises.

Traversodontidae – a family of herbivorous cynodont synapsids.

Turgidodon – a genus of superficially possum-like alphadontid marsupials.

Typha – the cattail plant.

Uvanella – a genus of marine demosponge.

Wodehouseia – a genus of angiosperm pollen.

Yaminuechelys – a genus of South American-type side-necked turtle.

Zygnema – a genus of single-celled green algae in the Zygnemataceae.