Saturday 23 November 2013

Mesosaurus tenuidens

This freshwater aquatic fish-eating reptile was found both in South Africa and Eastern South America, providing evidence for continental drift.

Name
Mesosaurus tenuidens
Authority
Gervais, 1865
Meaning of generic name
Middle lizard
Size
Length: 1 m
Remains
Complete skeletons
Age and Distribution
Whitehill Formation, South Africa; Irati Formation, Brazil (latest Sakmarian)
Classification
Anapsida Mesosauridae
Further Reading
Modesto, S. M., 2006, The cranial skeleton of the Early Permian aquatic reptile Mesosaurus tenuidens: implications for relationships and palaeobiology. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 146 (3): 345-368.
Synonyms
Mesosaurus brasiliensis
Synonyms from following link:
Mesosaurus tenuidens Gervais 1864-66
= Mesosaurus brasiliensis McGregor, 1908
= Ditrochosaurus capensis Gurich, 1889
= Mesosaurus capensis (Gurich, 1889)
Image by Nobu Tamura (click to enlarge)
Mesosaurus tenuidens:

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