Angolasaurus

An-go-la-sore-us.
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Emily Green

Paleobotanist

Emily Green brings the ancient world of plants to life through her insightful research and engaging writing. Her expertise lies in examining how prehistoric vegetation influenced climate patterns and animal evolution.

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Name

Angolasaurus ‭(‬Angola lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

An-go-la-sore-us.

Named By

Miguel Telles Antunes‭ ‬-‭ ‬1964.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Squamata,‭ ‬Mosasauridae,‭ ‬Plioplatecarpinae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬bocagei

Size

Roughly about 4 meters long.

Known locations

Angola.

Time Period

Turonian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial remains.

In Depth

       Although first discovered in Angola,‭ ‬it‭’‬s entirely plausible that Angolasaurus had a wider distribution since it was a marine creature and had the freedom of the ocean to travel.‭ ‬As a plioplatecarpine mosasaur,‭ ‬Angolasaurus is considered to be related to Platecarpus,‭ ‬Plioplatecarpus and Selmasaurus amongst others.

Further Reading

– O Neocretacio e o Cenozoico do litoral de Angola. – Junta de Investigcoes do Ultramar 1-254. – M. T. Antunes – 1964. – The mosasaur “Angolasaurus” bocagei (Reptilia: Mosasauridae) from the Turonian of Angola re-interpreted as the earliest member of the genus Platecarpus. – Pal�ontologische Zeitschrift. 68 (1–2). – Theagartan Lingham-Soliar – 1994. – The occurrence and geological setting of cretaceous dinosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and turtles from Angola. – Paleont. Soc. Korea. 22. – Louis L. Jacobs, Oct�vio Mateus, Michael J. Polcyn, Anne S. Schulp, Miguel Telles Antunes, Maria Lu�sa Morais & Tatiana da Silva Tavares – 2006.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT