Thalattosaurus
Extinct genus of reptiles / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thalattosaurus (pronounced: /θəˈlætəˌsɔːrəs/, "tha-la-to-SORE-us") meaning "sea lizard," from the Attic Greek thalatta (θάλαττα), "sea," and sauros (σαῦρος), "lizard," is an extinct genus of marine reptile in the family Thalattosauroidea. They were aquatic diapsids that are known exclusively from the Triassic period. It was a 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) long shellfish-eating reptile with paddle-like limbs and a down-turned rostrum occurring in the Lower and Middle Triassic Sulphur Mountain Formation of British Columbia as well as the Upper Triassic Hosselkus Limestone of California.[1][2] It has gained notoriety as a result of studies on general diapsid phylogeny.[3]
Thalattosaurus | |
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Restoration of Thalattosaurus alexandrae | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | †Thalattosauria |
Family: | †Thalattosauridae |
Genus: | †Thalattosaurus Merriam, 1904 |
Type species | |
†Thalattosaurus alexandrae Merriam, 1904 | |
Species | |
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Although originally described as four distinct species by Merriam in 1905, one was proven to be T. alexandrae upon further inspection and another[which?] has a missing type specimen.[citation needed] Currently it is believed to include two known species; Thalattosaurus alexandrae and T. borealis.