Glossary ZAL - ZYG
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ZALAMBDALESTES
Zalambdalestes was an early mammal that lived during the late Cretaceous
Period. Fossils of this shrew-like quadruped have been found in Mongolia.
This tiny mammal was about 8 inches (20 cm) long and it's skull was only
2 inches long and. This insectivore (insect eater) had very sharp, interlocking
teeth, a long, upturned snout, long foot bones, large eyes, a small brain,
and a long tail. Classification: Subclass Pantotheria, Infraclass Eutheria
(placental mammals), Genus Zalambdalestes
ZAPSALIS
Zapsalis (meaning: "through shears") was a meat-eating dinosaur
(a theropod) that lived during the Cretaceous Period. This coelurosaur
was found in the Judith River Formation, Montana, USA. Zatomus is a nomen
dubium; it is probably Paronychodon lacustris or Troodon. Zatomus was
named by Cope in 1876. The type species is Z. abradens.
ZATOMUS
(pronounced ZAT-o-mus) Zatomus (meaning: "thorough cutter")
was a large meat-eating reptile (an archosaur) that lived during the late
Triassic Period, about 225-208 million years ago. Zatomus used to be thought
to be a dinosaur; it is now known to be a rauisuchians. Fossils of this
quadruped have been found in North Carolina, USA. It is known for its
blade-like teeth. Zatomus was named by Cope in 1871.
ZEPHYROSAURUS
(pronounced ZEF-eye-roh-SAWR-us) Zephyrosaurus, meaning: "Zephyr's
(god of the west wind) lizard," was a plant-eating dinosaur 6 feet
(1.8 m) long. It had a small head, flat cheek teeth, long legs, and short
arms. It was an ornithopod and a hypsilophoditid from the early Cretaceous
Period, about 119-113 million years ago. It was found in Montana, USA
and was named by paleontologist H.D. Sues in 1980. It is known from a
partial skull and some vertebrae.
ZHAO XIJIN
Zhao Xijin is a Chinese paleontologist who named the following dinosaurs:
Chaoyoungosaurus (1983), Chinshakiangosaurus (1986), Dachongosaurus (1986),
Damalasaurus (1986), Kunmingosaurus (1986), Lancangjiangosaurus (1986),
the family Mamenchisauridae (with Young Chung Chien, 1972), Megacervixosaurus
(1983), Microdontosaurus (1983), Monkonosaurus (1983), Ngexisaurus (1983),
Sangonghesaurus (1983), Oshanosaurus (1986), Xuanhuasaurus (1986).
ZIGONGOSAURUS
(pronounced DZUH-GUNG-oh-SAWR-us) Zigongosaurus (meaning: Zigong municipality
in Sichuan Province, China) was a long-necked, herbivore, saurischian
sauropod dinosaur from the Jurassic Period. An almost complete fossil
was found in China. Zigongosaurus may be the same genus as Mamenchisaurus
fuxiensis or Omeisaurus.
ZIZHONGOSAURUS
(pronounced DZEH-JUNG-oh-SAWR-us) Zizhongosaurus (meaning: "Zizhong
County, Sichuan Province, China lizard") was a long-necked, long-tailed,
quadrupedal plant-eater with a small head. It dates from the early Jurassic
Period, about 180 million years ago. This sauropod was about 30 ft (9
m) long and weighed roughly 4400 kg. Fossils, including back vertebrae,
pubis (hip bone), and a humerus (leg bone), were found in China. Zizhongosaurus
was named by Chinese paleontologists Dong, Zhou, and Zhang in 1983. The
type species is Z. chuanchengensis.
ZUNICERATOPS
(pronounced ZOO-nee-SAIR-ah-tops) Zuniceratops (meaning: "Zuni horned
face") was the earliest ceratopsian dinosaur that had brow horns
(horns over the eyes). This frilled plant-eater also had a beak-like snout
with a small horn; it was 10 to 12 feet (3-3.7 m) long and weighed roughly
400 pounds. It lived during the late Cretaceous Period, about 90 million
years ago in what is now New Mexico, USA. Zuniceratops christopheri was
found in 1997 by Christopher Wolfe, who was about 8 years old at the time.
Zuniceratops was named by Wolfe and Kirkland in 1998.
ZYGOPOPHYSES
Zygopophyses were interlocking bony structures on the back half of the
tails of tetanuran dinosaurs. These zygopophyses project forwards and
backwards from the neural arches, interlocking one vertebra into another,
stiffening the tail.
ZYGORHIZA
Zygorhiza was an archaeocete whale that lived during the late Eocene,
about 40 million years ago. This ancient marine mammal had a long snout
that contained many sharp teeth. The nostrils were located towards the
end of the snout. Although retaining some land-animal characteristcs (like
differentiated teeth), it was more whale-like than Basiliosaurus. It had
a snake-like body and small hindlimbs (including a mobile knee and toes).
Many fossils have been found in the southeastern USA, including Mississippi,
Florida, and Georgia. The type species of this dorudontid is Zygorhiza
kochii, named by Riechenbach.