AugustasaurusAugustasaurus is an extinctgenus of sauropterygians that lived during the Anisianstage of the Middle Triassic in what is now North America. Only one species is known, A. hagdorni, described in 1997 from fossils discovered in the Favret Formation, Nevada, USA. Augustasaurus is a pistosauroid estimated to be 2.5–3 m (8.2–9.8 ft) long. The skull has fang-like teeth, indicating a diet of fish and squid.
SauropterygiaGroup of Mesozoic aquatic reptilesSauropterygia ("lizardflippers") is an extinct clade of diverse, generally marine reptiles that developed from terrestrial ancestors soon after the end-Permian extinction and flourished during the Triassic before all except for the Plesiosauria became extinct at the end of that period. The plesiosaurs would continue to diversify until the end of the Mesozoic, when they became extinct as part of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
PlesiosaurOrder of reptiles (fossil)The Plesiosauria or plesiosaurs are an order or clade of extinct Mesozoicmarine reptiles, belonging to the Sauropterygia. Plesiosaurs first appeared in the latest TriassicPeriod, possibly in the Rhaetian stage, about 203 million years ago. They became especially common during the Jurassic Period, thriving until their disappearance due to the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous Period, about 66 million years ago.
NothosaurNothosaurs (superfamily Nothosauroidea) were Triassic marine sauropterygianreptiles. They averaged about 3 metres (10 ft) in length, with a long body and tail. The feet were paddle-like, and are known to have been webbed in life, to help power the animal when swimming. The neck was quite long, and the head was elongated and flattened, and relatively small in relation to the body.
PistosauroideaPistosauroidea is a group of marine reptiles within the superorderSauropterygia that first appeared in the latter part of the Early Triassic and were the ancestors of plesiosaurs. Pistosauroids are rare in Triassic marine assemblages, and are represented by only a few fossils from central Europe, the United States, and China. Recent phylogenetic analyses consider the Triassic pistosauroids to be a paraphyletic grouping, meaning that they do not form a true clade.
NothosaurusNothosaurus ('false lizard', from the Ancient Greek νόθος, nothos, 'illegitimate' and σαῦρος, sauros, 'lizard') is an extinctgenus of sauropterygianreptile from the Triassicperiod, approximately 245–228 million years ago, with fossils being distributed throughout the former Tethys Ocean, from North Africa and Europe to China. It is the best known member of the nothosaurorder.
Middle TriassicSubdivision of the Triassic according to the ICS, as of 2024.Vertical axis scale: Millions of years agoEtymologyName formalityFormalUsage informationCelestial bodyEarthRegional usageGlobal (ICS)Time scale(s) usedICS Time ScaleDefinitionChronological unitEpochStratigraphic unitSeriesTime span formalityFormalLower boundary definitionNot formally definedLower boundary definition candidatesFAD of the ConodontChiosella timorensisBase of magnetic zone MT1nLower boundary GSSP candidate section(s), Northern Dobruja, RomaniaGuandao, Guizhou, ChinaUpper boundary definitionFAD of the AmmoniteUpper boundary GSSP, Dolomites, Italy46°31′37″N11°55′49″E / 46.5269°N 11.9303°E / 46.5269; 11.9303Upper GSSP ratified2008In the geologic timescale, the Middle Triassic is the second of three epochs of the Triassicperiod or the middle of three series in which the Triassic system is divided in chronostratigraphy.
ReptileClass of animalsReptiles, as commonly defined, are tetrapodvertebrateanimals with an ectothermic metabolism and amniotic development. Reptiles traditionally comprise four orders: Testudines (turtles), Crocodilia (crocodiles, alligators and gharials), Squamata (lizards and snakes) and Rhynchocephalia (tuatara), with about 12,000 extant species listed in the Reptile Database.
FranceCountry primarily in Western EuropeFrance, officially the French Republic, is a country primarily located in Western Europe. Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean.
GermanyCountry in EuropeGermany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Western and Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north with the Alps to the south. Its 16 constituent states have a total population of over 83 million, making it the most populous member state of the European Union (EU).
Type speciesA type species (species typica) is the species considered to be permanently taxonomically associated with the name of a genus or subgenus, and that is used to identify it and distinguish it from others. In modern times, it is normally assigned when the genus or subgenus is first named. Any taxonomic revisions must be done in such a way that the genus or subgenus retains the type species if the genus is to keep its name.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.