Anarosaurus

An-ah-ro-sore-us.
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Emerson Winslow

Paleoichthyologist

Emerson Winslow delves into the underwater world of prehistoric fish, uncovering the mysteries of early marine life. His discoveries have enhanced understanding of vertebrate evolution in aquatic environments.

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Name

Anarosaurus

Phonetic

An-ah-ro-sore-us.

Named By

Dames‭ ‬1890.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Sauropterygia, ‬Pachypleurosauroidea.

Diet

Piscivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬pumilo‭

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

Netherlands.

Time Period

Anisian of the Triassic.

Fossil representation

Fragmentary remains.

In Depth

       Not a lot is known about Anarosaurus due to the very fragmentary remains that are all we currently have.‭ ‬What can be ascertained from the remains however is that Anarosaurus was a pachypleurosaur,‭ ‬small reptiles that‭ ‬in appearance looked somewhere between terrestrial lizards and fully aquatic plesiosaurs.‭ ‬With this in mind Anarosaurus would have been a coastal animal that probably fed in the water,‭ ‬but returned to land to rest.

Further Reading

– Pachypleurosaurs (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Lower Muschelkalk, and a review of the Pachypleurosauroidea. – Fieldiana: Geology, new series (32)1-44. – O. Rieppel & K. Lin – 1995. – Skull morphology of Anarosaurus heterodontus (Reptilia: Sauropterygia: Pachypleurosauria) from the Lower Muschelkalk of the Germanic Basin (Winterswijk, the Netherlands). – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (3): 665. – N. Klein – 2009.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT