Aigialosaurus

Ay-gee-al-oh-sore-us.
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Claire Morris

Marine Paleontologist

Claire Morris has dedicated her career to exploring the depths of prehistoric oceans. Her fascination with ancient marine life has led her to discover significant fossils that illuminate the evolution of early sea creatures.

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Name

Aigialosaurus.

Phonetic

Ay-gee-al-oh-sore-us.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Squamata,‭ ‬Varanoidea,‭ ‬Aigialosauridae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬dalmaticus‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬bucchichi,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬novaki‭ ‬

Size

Around‭ ‬1.1‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Croatia.

Time Period

Cenomanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Several specimens.

In Depth

       Aigialosaurus was a semi aquatic lizard that was developed to enter the water yet still return to land.‭ ‬This is similar to many other lizards at this stage of the Cretaceous that would eventually evolve into the mosauridae,‭ ‬the last major group of marine reptiles that would adapt to ocean life during the Mesozoic.‭

Further Reading

– A redescription of Aigialosaurus (Opetiosaurus) bucchichi (Kornhuber, 1901) (Squamata: Aigialosauridae) with comments on mosasauroid systematics. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29 (2): 437-452. – Alex R. Dutchak & Michael W. Caldwell – 2009.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT