Babibasiliscus

Ba-be-ba-sil-i-kus.
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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

Babibasiliscus ‭(‬Older cousin of Basiliscus‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ba-be-ba-sil-i-kus.

Named By

Jack L.‭ ‬Conrad‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Squamata,‭ ‬Iguania,‭ ‬Corytophanidae.

Diet

Omnivore.

Species

B.‭ ‬alxi‭

Size

Skull‭ ‬4.2‭ ‬centimetres long.‭ ‬Total size estimated about‭ ‬60‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

USA,‭ ‬Wyoming‭ ‬-‭ ‬Bridger Formation.

Time Period

Early Eocene.

Fossil representation

Skull.

In Depth

       Babibasiliscus is a relative of modern day basilisk lizards,‭ ‬some of which are also dubbed‭ ‘‬Jesus Christ lizards‭’ ‬for their ability to run across water for short distances.‭ ‬Babibasiliscus is best known from a skull,‭ ‬which when compared to average modern basilisk proportions yields an estimate of about‭ ‬sixty ‬centimetres long for the animal,‭ ‬though much of this length would have been tail.‭ ‬The precise diet of Babibasiliscus is unknown,‭ ‬but modern basilisks are usually classed as omnivores,‭ ‬readily hunting insects,‭ ‬fish,‭ ‬birds and small snakes,‭ ‬but also eating eggs and flowers as well.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A New Eocene Casquehead Lizard‭ (‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Corytophanidae‭) ‬from North America.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Plos One‭ ‬10‭ (‬7‭)‬:‭ ‬e0127900.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Jack L.‭ ‬Conrad‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT