Welcome to Catnapin's
Paleozoic Marine Reptile Fossil Gallery
Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Sauropsida (Reptilia)
(Kingdom, Phylum, Subphylum, Class)
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Mesosauria, Mesosauridae
(Order, Family)
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Mesosaurus sp. - cast (MESS-oh-SAWR-us) Period: Permian Location: (South America) (purchased) Collection: Judie Ostlien Size: 183 x 330 mm block |
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Description: This group were the first fully terrestrial animals to return to fully aquatic lifestyle. It lived in fresh-water lakes This specimen's head and teeth were long and thin to strained food from water. The nostrils are near the eyes not at the end of the snout. Its flat tail gave it speed and agility. The same genus is found in the same rock formation in both Africa and South America which supports the theory of continental drift and the split-up of continents. |
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