In Depth
Related to the mosasaurs, the exact classification of Dolichosaurus is a little uncertain with its exact closeness to the Mosasauridae a little uncertain. Dolichosaurus is noted for having a long thin build and is speculated to have been a weak swimmer. This in turn has led to past speculation that it may have been semi aquatic, occasionally returning to the land like the much earlier nothosaurs of the Triassic.
Further Reading
– Monograph on the fossil Reptilia of the Cretaceous Formations. Part I. Chelonia (Lacertilia, etc.). – The Palaeontographical Society, London 1851:1-118. – Richard Owen – 1851. – On The Aquatic Squamate Dolichosaurus longicollis Owen, 1850 (Cenomanian, Upper Cretaceous), and the Evolution of Elongate Necks in Squamates. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 20 (4), p720-735. – Michael W. Caldwell – 2000.
