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Drepanosaurs
Drepanosaurs (members of the clade Drepanosauromorpha) are a group of extinct reptiles that lived between the Carnian and Rhaetian stages of the late Triassic Period, approximately between 230 and 210 million years ago. The various species of drepanosaurid were characterized by specialized grasping limbs and often prehensile tails, adaptions for arboreal (tree-dwelling) and fossorial (digging) lifestyles, with some having also been suggested to be aquatic. Fossils of drepanosaurs have been found in Arizona, New Mexico, New Jersey, Utah, England, and northern Italy. The name is taken from the family's namesake genus ''Drepanosaurus'', which means "sickle lizard," a reference to their strongly curved claws. Description Drepanosaurs are notable for their distinctive, triangular skulls, which resemble the skulls of birds. Some drepanosaurs, such as ''Avicranium,'' had pointed, toothless, bird-like beaks. This similarity to birds may have led to the misattribution of what may be a dr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megalancosaurus BW
''Megalancosaurus'' is a genus of extinct reptile from the Late Triassic Dolomia di Forni Formation and Zorzino Limestone of northern Italy, and one of the best known drepanosaurids. The type species is ''M. preonensis''; a translation of the animal's scientific name would be "long armed reptile from the Preone Valley." Anatomy ''Megalancosaurus'' was fairly small, its adult length was only about 25 centimeters (10 inches). It was built like a chameleon and probably lived a similar arboreal lifestyle, feeding on insects and other small animals. Even its feet were chameleon like, with two toes being opposed to the remaining three. The tail is long, prehensile, and bears a strange claw-like organ made of fused vertebrae at its end. Its shoulders formed a withers that would have served as an attachment site for especially strong muscles. Some specimens have an opposable digit on the feet. Because not all members of the species appear to bear this digit, it has been speculated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dolabrosaurus
''Dolabrosaurus'' is a genus of extinct reptile and a member of the family Drepanosauridae. Fossils of ''Dolabrosaurus'' have been found in the Chinle Formation of New Mexico.''Dolabrosaurus'' at Fossilworks
Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database
The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals ... .org
References Drepanosaurs[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drepanosaurus Unguicaudatus
''Drepanosaurus'' (; "sickle lizard") is a genus of arboreal (tree-dwelling) reptile that lived during the Triassic Period. It is a member of the Drepanosauridae, a group of diapsid reptiles known for their prehensile tails. ''Drepanosaurus'' was probably an insectivore, and lived in a coastal environment in what is now modern day Italy, as well as in a streamside environment in the midwestern United States. Description ''Drepanosaurus'' is known to have a huge claw on the "index finger" (digit II) of each hand along with the tail claw. The skull of ''Drepanosaurus'' has never been found and is still unknown; however, the skull of ''Drepanosaurus'' was likely similar to other drepanosaurs, such as ''Megalancosaurus''. ''Megalancosaurus skull was approximately the same size as its enlarged claws, and had a bird-like jaw and head shape. The forelimb of ''Drepanosaurus'' is highly modified compared to other vertebrates. Its ulna was modified into a robust, crescent-shaped site fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megalancosaurus Skeletal
''Megalancosaurus'' is a genus of extinct reptile from the Late Triassic Dolomia di Forni Formation and Zorzino Limestone of northern Italy, and one of the best known drepanosaurids. The type species is ''M. preonensis''; a translation of the animal's scientific name would be "long armed reptile from the Preone Valley." Anatomy ''Megalancosaurus'' was fairly small, its adult length was only about 25 centimeters (10 inches). It was built like a chameleon and probably lived a similar arboreal lifestyle, feeding on insects and other small animals. Even its feet were chameleon like, with two toes being opposed to the remaining three. The tail is long, prehensile, and bears a strange claw-like organ made of fused vertebrae at its end. Its shoulders formed a withers that would have served as an attachment site for especially strong muscles. Some specimens have an opposable digit on the feet. Because not all members of the species appear to bear this digit, it has been speculated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avicranium
''Avicranium'' is a genus of extinct drepanosaur reptile known from the Chinle Formation of the late Triassic. The type species of ''Avicranium'' is ''Avicranium renestoi''. "''Avicranium''" is Latin for "bird cranium", in reference to its unusual bird-like skull, while "''renestoi''" references Silvio Renesto, a paleontologist known for studies of Italian drepanosaurs. Discovery The holotype and only known specimen of ''Avicranium'' is AMNH FARB 30834, a disarticulated skull attached to a few cervical (neck) vertebrae. This specimen hails from the ''Coelophysis'' (or Whitaker) quarry at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, USA. This quarry belongs to the ' siltstone member' of the Chinle formation, which corresponds to the late Norian to early Rhaetian stages of the Triassic. Various unprepared blocks from this locality were excavated by American Museum of Natural History field parties during the 1940s. Long believed to only contain multiple specimens of the early dinosaur ''Coelophysis' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megalancosaurus
''Megalancosaurus'' is a genus of extinct reptile from the Late Triassic Dolomia di Forni Formation and Zorzino Limestone of northern Italy, and one of the best known drepanosaurids. The type species is ''M. preonensis''; a translation of the animal's scientific name would be "long armed reptile from the Preone Valley." Anatomy ''Megalancosaurus'' was fairly small, its adult length was only about 25 centimeters (10 inches). It was built like a chameleon and probably lived a similar arboreal lifestyle, feeding on insects and other small animals. Even its feet were chameleon like, with two toes being opposed to the remaining three. The tail is long, prehensile, and bears a strange claw-like organ made of fused vertebrae at its end. Its shoulders formed a withers that would have served as an attachment site for especially strong muscles. Some specimens have an opposable digit on the feet. Because not all members of the species appear to bear this digit, it has been speculated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skybalonyx
''Skybalonyx'' is an extinct genus of drepanosaur from the Chinle Formation in the Late Triassic. The type and only known species is ''Skybalonyx skapter'', meaning "digging dung claw" from Ancient Greek. ''Skybalonyx'' is only known from numerous specimens of the enlarged claw on its second finger, characteristic of other derived drepanosaurids. However, ''Skybalonyx'' is unique compared to other drepanosaurs because its enlarged claw is wider than it is tall, and it is not as deep compared to those of the contemporary ''Drepanosaurus'' or ''Ancistronychus''. Functional analyses of its claws compared to other drepanosaurs and various living animals indicates that ''Skybalonyx'' (as well as ''Ancistronychus'') used its large claw for digging underground, perhaps even for burrowing. This contrasts with the inferred lifestyle of other drepanosaurids (including ''Drepanosaurus''), which were arboreal. Reports published in October 2020 indicate its remains were discovered by graduat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drepanosaurus
''Drepanosaurus'' (; "sickle lizard") is a genus of arboreal (tree-dwelling) reptile that lived during the Triassic Period. It is a member of the Drepanosauridae, a group of diapsid reptiles known for their prehensile tails. ''Drepanosaurus'' was probably an insectivore, and lived in a coastal environment in what is now modern day Italy, as well as in a streamside environment in the midwestern United States. Description ''Drepanosaurus'' is known to have a huge claw on the "index finger" (digit II) of each hand along with the tail claw. The skull of ''Drepanosaurus'' has never been found and is still unknown; however, the skull of ''Drepanosaurus'' was likely similar to other drepanosaurs, such as ''Megalancosaurus''. ''Megalancosaurus skull was approximately the same size as its enlarged claws, and had a bird-like jaw and head shape. The forelimb of ''Drepanosaurus'' is highly modified compared to other vertebrates. Its ulna was modified into a robust, crescent-shaped site fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ancistronychus
''Ancistronychus'' is an extinct genus of drepanosaur from the Late Triassic Petrified Forest National Park in the Chinle Formation of Arizona. The type and only known species is ''Ancistronychus paradoxus'', from Ancient Greek to mean "unexpected fishhook claw" due to its characteristic hooked shape. ''Ancistorhynchus'' is only known from a collection of isolated large claws from its second fingers, a distinctive trait of other derived drepanosaurs. ''Ancistorhynchus'' is characteristic amongst drepanosaurs by the strongly hooked shape of its claw, which is shorter in height and broader than those of ''Drepanosaurus'', and is flat at its tip. The claw is also cleft at its tip, a trait found in living animals that use their claws for digging, such as moles and pangolins Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (, from Ancient Greek ϕολιδωτός – "clad in scales"). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: ''Manis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vallesaurus
''Vallesaurus'' is an extinct genus of Late Triassic elyurosaur drepanosauromorph. First found in Northern Italy in 1975, it is one of the most primitive drepanosaurs. ''V. cenenis'' is the type species, which was first mentioned in 1991 but only formally described in 2006. A second species, ''V. zorzinensis'', was named in 2010. Discovery The first specimen of ''Vallesaurus cenensis'', MCSNB 4751, was found in 1975 by the staff of the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali of Bergamo, Italy. The genus was named in respect of professor Valle, the former director of the museum. The species, on the other hand, was named after a local municipality called Cene, which was neighboring the site where the fossil was excavated. The specimen was given to palaeontologist Rupert Wild to study at the Staatliches Museum of Stuttgart, Germany. Wild briefly mentioned "Vallesaurus cenensis" in 1991, but without describing it formally or identifying the holotype specimen. Pinna (1993) listed the name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kyrgyzsaurus
''Kyrgyzsaurus'' is an extinct genus of drepanosaurid reptile known from the Triassic of southwestern Kyrgyzstan. It was discovered in the Madygen Formation. Discovery ''Kyrgyzsaurus'' is known only from the holotype specimen, which includes the anterior part of the skeleton including the skull, cervical and anterior dorsal vertebrae, ribs, pectoral girdle and skin imprints. The holotype was collected from the Madygen Formation, dating to the late Carnian or early Ladinian stage of the late Middle or early Late Triassic period, about 230-225 million years ago. Thus, it represents the oldest known drepanosaurid. ''Kyrgyzsaurus'' was also the first Asian drepanosaurid genus to be named. Etymology ''Kyrgyzsaurus'' was first named by V. R. Alifanov and E. N. Kurochkin in 2011, with the type species ''Kyrgyzsaurus bukhanchenkoi''. The generic name is derived from the name of Kyrgyzstan, and from Greek ''sauros'', "lizard"; thus, the name means "Kyrgyzstan's lizard." The specific nam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hypuronector
''Hypuronector'' is a genus of extinct drepanosaur reptile from the Triassic Period that lived in what is now New Jersey. The etymology of the name translates as "deep-tailed swimmer from the lake," in reference to its assumed aquatic habits hypothesized by its discoverers. ''Hypuronector'' was related to the arboreal ''Megalancosaurus''. It was a small animal, estimated to be only long in life. So far dozens of specimens of ''Hypuronector'' are known, though scientists have not found any complete skeletons. This makes attempts to reconstruct ''Hypuronectors body or lifestyle highly speculative and controversial. Paleobiology Despite their evolutionary relationship, it has been suggested by some scientists that ''Hypuronector'' may have had a different ecological niche than other drepanosaurs. It has long been accepted that ''Megalancosaurus'' was an arboreal chameleon-like animal. ''Hypuronector'' has inversely been suggested to be aquatic due to its deep, paddle-like tail and t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
