For the first time, the International Mammoth Conference heads to Africa. This decision marks a historic milestone. Importantly, it reflects the continent’s deep evolutionary significance. In January 2026, the National Museums of Kenya will host the “International Conference of Mammoths and their Relatives” in Nairobi. Scientists, academics, researchers, and enthusiasts will gather from across the globe. Together, they will share new insights into mammoths, mastodons, and their extinct relatives.

Crucially, proboscideans first evolved in Africa. Fossil evidence suggests the first proboscideans evolved around sixty million years ago (Palaeocene Epoch). Therefore, this setting feels especially fitting. It places cutting-edge research back at the group’s evolutionary roots. Furthermore, two of the remaining extant elephant species are in Africa.  Many proboscidean lineages evolved in Africa.  For example, deinotheres (family Deinotheriidae) are thought to have originated in Ethiopia.  A favourite Deinotherium figure is the Eofauna Scientific Research Deinotherium model.

The Eofauna Scientific Research Deinotherium model. A fantastic prehistoric elephant replica. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The team behind the Eofauna range of figures have conducted extensive research into prehistoric elephants.

To view the range of Eofauna Scientific Research models: Eofauna Scientific Research Figures.

The International Mammoth Conference

The “International Conference of Mammoths and their Relatives” is held every four years.  The inaugural conference took place in 1995. This quadrennial international meeting brings together leading researchers in this field of palaeontology. Moreover, conferences like this matter. They help strengthen academic networks beyond Europe and the United States. They also inspire regional students and researchers. As a result, interest in the natural world can grow more evenly worldwide.

Ultimately, this conference celebrates science, collaboration, and Africa’s vital role in palaeontology.

Mike from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We wish the organisers and everyone attending an enjoyable and most rewarding conference.  It is great to see that this event is being held in Africa.  Perhaps, the conference will lead to greater cooperation between African universities and museums and their counterparts in Europe and North America.”

For models of prehistoric elephants and other prehistoric animals: Prehistoric Animal Models.

In the last few days of 2025, a bizarre new dinosaur taxon was scientifically described.  Researchers have published a paper about a fragmentary skeleton from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Nemegt Formation at Khermeen Tsav in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia.  Named Manipulonyx reshetovi, it has been assigned to the Parvicursorinae subfamily of the Alvarezsauridae.  The specimen includes an articulated and complete forelimb and crucially much of the manus (hand).  The single, large digit (digit I) is preserved.  However, evidence of rudimentary side fingers and a complete series of proximal carpal bones are also preserved.  This is the first time that proximal carpal bones have been identified in a parvicursorine.

A life reconstruction of Manipulonyx reshetovi. Note the scale bar equals 10 cm. Picture credit: Tim Bollinger (TotalDino) with additional annotation by Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Tim Bollinger (TotalDino) with additional annotation by Everything Dinosaur.

Our thanks to the artist Tim Bollinger for giving us permission to use his illustration of this recently described theropod. Tim’s website is a great resource with lots of amazing dinosaur images, updates and helpful information about the Dinosauria: Visit Total Dino.

Manipulonyx reshetovi

With the description of this new parvicursorine, palaeontologists have a much better understanding of the hand anatomy of this type of dinosaur.  In addition, they have hypothesised that parvicursorines specialised in eating eggs.  Therefore, the short forelimbs ended in highly specialised appendages that permitted these little theropods to hold and puncture the eggs of other dinosaurs.

The fossilised material consists of a pair of cervical vertebrae, one dorsal vertebra, sacral vertebrae and caudals. Moreover, the field team recovered fragmentary bones representing hindlimbs and part of the pelvic girdle. In contrast to the scrappy nature of this material, most of the bones from both forelimbs were found. The carpal bones indicate the presence of unique spikes on the wrist that would have helped this dinosaur to grasp and manipulate eggs. The enlarged claw on the powerful first digit is thought to have been used to puncture eggs so that the contents could be consumed.

Previous discoveries have suggested that parvicursorines could have been specialised insectivores.  It had been proposed that their specialised hands had evolved to help them dig for insects or for breaking into termite mounds.  For example, in 2022 we wrote an article about Dzharaonyx eski from Uzbekistan.

To read Everything Dinosaur’s blog post: The Remarkable “Old Dzharakuduk Claw”.

Were Some Alvarezsaurids Ovivores?

Alvarezsaurids are an unusual group of maniraptoran theropods. They evolved long hind limbs, compact bodies, and extremely reduced forearms. However, these arms were not useless. Instead, they supported a powerful, specialised manus. In most species, the hand appears adapted for a single dominant claw. This unusual body plan sets alvarezsaurids apart from all other theropods.

Within this family, Manipulonyx reshetovi belongs to the subfamily Parvicursorinae. These dinosaurs are typically lightly built and highly cursorial. Moreover, they show extreme forelimb modification. However, Manipulonyx goes much further. Its forelimbs preserve the wrist, metacarpals, and digits in near-complete condition. Notably, the manus shows reinforced elements and distinctive bony spikes. Therefore, researchers can assess how the hand functioned in life, not just how it looked.

The scientists writing in the Proceedings of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences speculate that M. reshetovi was an egg-eater (ovivore).  This hypothesis builds on earlier discussions about alvarezsaurid diets.  For example, back in 2018 we authored an article about Qiupanykus zhangi, an alvarezsaurid from central China. At the time, it was speculated that Qiupanykus was an ovivore.

To read the blog post on Q. zhangi: Did Alvarezsaurids Eat Eggs?

Mike from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“Manipulonyx reshetovi provides a rare and valuable window into parvicursorine evolution. Above all, its well-preserved forelimbs transform how we interpret alvarezsaurid behaviour and feeding strategies.  The forelimb is the most completely known of any parvicursorine and its discovery highlights the incredible diversity of the Dinosauria.”

The scientific paper is published in Proceedings of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Prehistoric Animal and Dinosaur Models.

The recent description of Utetitan zellaguymondeweyae marks a significant step forward in Late Cretaceous dinosaur research. This newly recognised titanosaurian sauropod lived during the Maastrichtian fauna stage in what is now Utah. Importantly, it challenges long-held assumptions about sauropod diversity in what we now know as North America.

For many years, palaeontologists believed that Alamosaurus sanjuanensis was the only sauropod present in North America during the final few million years of the Cretaceous. This idea always raised questions. After all, sauropods elsewhere often show multiple species living side by side. A single species persisting unchanged for such a long time seemed implausible.

The fossils that led to description of Utetitan come from the North Horn Formation, which dates to the very end of the Age of Dinosaurs. Although these remains were collected decades ago, they were historically placed within the Alamosaurus taxon. At the time, comparisons were difficult. Most sauropod fossils from the southwest and northern Mexico are fragmentary. Overlapping bones are rare. In addition, it is often difficult to compare fossil skeletons as they represent individuals at different growth stages.

A life reconstruction of Utetitan zellaguymondeweyae. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Utetitan zellaguymondeweyae

Recent re-examination of the material revealed something important. The Utah fossils differ consistently from Alamosaurus fossils found in New Mexico. These distinctions are anatomical, not simply related to ontogeny or taphonomy. As a result, the Utah skeleton was designated as the holotype of a new species, Utetitan zellaguymondeweyae.

The name Utetitan honours the native Ute peoples of the region. Whereas the species name honours the author’s (Gregory S. Paul) maternal grandmother Zella Guymon Dewey (1901–2002).

The holotype includes tail vertebrae, pelvic bones, limb elements, and a distinctive osteoderm. Consequently, Utetitan is one of the most informative Late Cretaceous sauropods known from North America. Its anatomy confirms its place within the Titanosauria clade.

Many Different Titanosaurs Lived in Late Cretaceous North America

Crucially, Utetitan changes how palaeontologists view Late Cretaceous ecosystems. Evidence now suggests that multiple titanosaurs lived in southwestern North America during the Campanian and Maastrichtian faunal stages of the Late Cretaceous. Furthermore, some fossils from Texas may belong to Utetitan. Other fossils do not. Older Campanian remains cannot be confidently assigned to either Alamosaurus or Utetitan. This suggests that there are many more titanosaur genera awaiting scientific description.

These titanosaurs may even represent a short-lived regional lineage. In semi-isolation, they could have evolved separately from titanosaurs elsewhere in the world. Interestingly, new skeletal reconstructions suggest that these animals were not as massive as earlier size estimates indicated.

Scale drawing of Alamosaurus.  Recent research suggests that Alamosaurus sanjuanensis may not have been as large as previously thought.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

From a biogeographical perspective, Utetitan supports the idea of late sauropod migrations into North America. Changing sea levels may have opened temporary land corridors. Through these routes, titanosaurs could disperse from other continents.

Ultimately, the Utetitan zellaguymondeweyae paper shows how revisiting old fossils can transform scientific understanding.

The scientific paper: “Stratigraphic and anatomical evidence for multiple titanosaurid dinosaur taxa in the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) of southwestern North America” by Gregory S. Paul published as an open-access paper in Geology of the Intermountain West.

For models of Alamosaurus and other titanosaurs: Dinosaur Models.

Palaeontologists have described two new species of azhdarchid pterosaurs from Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. The Gobi Desert is famous for its numerous dinosaur fossils. However, pterosaur remains are very rare in Mongolian Mesozoic deposits. Researchers writing in the academic journal “PeerJ” identified azhdarchid pterosaur fossils.

The material consists of bones from the neck, and from these specimens two new species have been erected. The fossils come from two different localities (Bayshin Tsav and Burkhant). Originally collected in the 1990s, the fossils were described in detail in 2009 (Watabe et al). Yet, at the time the pterosaurs were not named, just described as indeterminate azhdarchids.

Azhdarchid Pterosaur Fossils

Subsequently, knowledge of azhdarchid pterosaur anatomy has improved. As a result, two distinct species have been named.  In a paper published in the autumn, researchers identified diagnostic features permitting the establishment of these two new species. The paper was written by researchers from the Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil), Shihezi University (China) and Hokkaido University (Japan).

Azhdarchid pterosaur fossils lead to the naming of two new taxa. The two new Mongolian taxa are compared to two of the largest azhdarchid pterosaurs. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Gobiazhdarcho tsogtbaatari: A Medium-Sized Pterosaur

The first species is named Gobiazhdarcho tsogtbaatari. It comes from the Burkhant locality of the Bayanshiree Formation. This pterosaur had an estimated wingspan of three to three and a half metres. It has been described as a medium-sized azhdarchid, with a wingspan roughly comparable to an Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus).  Fossils associated with this taxon include an atlantoaxis (fused neck vertebrae) and other cervical bones. These show it belonged to a lineage related to giants such as Quetzalcoatlus and Arambourgiania. In evolutionary terms, Gobiazhdarcho is a basal member of this quetzalcoatlid group, bridging gaps in the fossil record.

Its name reflects both its origin and scientific heritage. “Gobi” refers to the desert where it was found. “Azhdarcho” comes from Persian for dragon. The species name honours Mongolian palaeontologist Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar.

Tsogtopteryx mongoliensis: A Small Azhdarchid Pterosaur

The second species named in the paper is Tsogtopteryx mongoliensis. This pterosaur is notably small for an azhdarchid. Its estimated wingspan was approximately two metres, making it one of the smallest members of the Azhdarchidae family.  A single, partial mid-cervical vertebra is known for this species. Despite the limited material, distinct features show it belongs to a different pterosaur lineage than Gobiazhdarcho.  It was related to Hatzegopteryx. This lineage includes robust-necked azhdarchids previously known only from Europe.

The genus name combines the Mongolian word “Tsogt” (meaning mighty hero) with the Greek word pteryx which means wing. The species name references its discovery in Mongolia.

Azhdarchids Occupied Diverse Ecological Niches

The coexistence of Gobiazhdarcho and Tsogtopteryx in the same geological formation emphasises that azhdarchids occupied diverse ecological niches. Different body sizes suggest varied foraging behaviours and diets. This pattern echoes findings from other Upper Cretaceous deposits.  This study sheds fresh light on the diversity and phylogeny of azhdarchid pterosaurs. It reinforces the reoccurring pattern of coexistence between multiple, differently-sized azhdarchid species within the same palaeoenvironment.

The scientific paper: “Azhdarchid pterosaur diversity in the Bayanshiree Formation, Upper Cretaceous of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia” by R. V. Pêgas, Xuanyu Zhou​ and Yoshitsugu Kobayashi published in PeerJ.

For pterosaur models and other prehistoric animal figures: Pterosaur Models and Prehistoric Animal Figures.