#ichthyoconodon

[harpagornis]

Flexing my genius before going to bed. Remember,Ichthyoconodon and other volaticotheres could fly: https://mullerornis.medium.com/ichthyoconodon-98c42f9667be

[veloci-raptor]

Flocking Together #7

Scimitar billed nukupu'u

Anachronornis

Warkalania

Ichthyoconodon

[dragonthunders01]

Coast of Northwest Africa where one day will be Morocco, Early cretaceous, Ichthyoconodon took the initiative of take down a prey larger of the usual, a pterosaur Ornithocheiromorph, but everything goes not as planned as the pterosaur launch, and is taking him on a little trip to the open ocean, the volanticothere clings with claws and jaw to the body of his transporter as both quickly fly away further into the sea meanwhile the pterosaur is suffering from deep wounds on its, probably eventually both will find its grave under the water at the end...

And yes I got inspiration from the Woodpecker flying with weasel on back

Also a minor note, I know there has been dumb drama surrounding this creature, I just want to ask people to not start shit for this thing, I did it for fun and desire of divergent all yesterday’ish art, and not for start things for a particular person...

[carlos-miguel-albuquerque]

CARLOS MIGUEL ALBUQUERQUE / THECOMICSNIXLEGACY 

https://www.facebook.com/carlos.m.albuquerque 

Man of 100 sockpuppets / slayer of conservative scum / big fan of children / dinosaur fanatic 

[alphynix]

Unsolved Paleo Mysteries Month #19 -- Mesozoic Maritime Mammal Molars

Icthyoconodon jaworowskorum was a member of the volaticotherians, a group of eutriconodonts most famous for featuring the earliest known gliding mammal. Living during the Early Cretaceous of Morocco (~145-140 mya), it’s known only from a few isolated teeth.

Based on the measurements of the teeth it was probably one of the larger eutriconodonts, close in size to Jugulator. I can’t find any body size estimates, but it may have have a total length of around 50-60cm (20-24″).

Plenty of fossil mammals are known solely from teeth, but what’s most interesting about this one is that its remains were found in coastal marine deposits without any signs of degradation or transport damage by water currents. This indicates the animal probably died at sea very close to the location where it was preserved.

A few other eutriconodonts are now known to have been semi-aquatic, so Ichthyocondon might have been adapted to a similar lifestyle, making it one of the earliest known marine mammals. Another potential explanation is that it was a Volaticotherium-like glider that got blown out to sea.

As with many of this month’s paleontological mysteries, we need some more substantial fossil remains to know for sure. I’ve reconstructed it here as both main possibilities, as an otter-like semi-aquatic animal and as a patagium-bearing glider.

(And if you want to see some much more speculative volaticotherians restored as powered flyers, I recently did a couple of commissions like that for @kenbrasai -- they’re the first two here.)

[dragonthunders01]

So here is my V2 of my old picture of the species Ichthyoconodon jaworowskorum, an unsual eutriconodont found in the sea deposits of the lower cretaceous Morroco, being its only known remains formed by two lower jaw Molars, MNHN SA 46 (a) and SA 78 (b). Is really little of what it is known about this as with two teeth there isn't much what can be inferred, just probably that they were some inhabitants of the coastal region of Northwest coast of africa... and that's pretty much it, nothing else can be taken from 2 isolated teeth. Honestly is a shame that this and many relatives of these are just little know from few complete specimens, and just mostly being jaws and teeth what it is found.

[palaeowin]

On the verge of asking for an Ichthyoconodon commission. Better flying or aquatic?

I’m leaning aquatic based on ecology and the circumstances in which it was found, but its a pretty unknown taxon and honestly you might be better off spending your money on something better known.