Muraenosaurus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Muraenosaurus Temporal range: Middle Jurassic, Callovian |
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| Muraenosaurus leedsi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Order: | Plesiosauria |
| Superfamily: | Plesiosauroidea |
| Family: | Cryptoclididae |
| Genus: | Muraenosaurus |
Muraenosaurus ('moray eel lizard') is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile, from the Middle Jurassic of Europe. Fossils have been found in England and France.
Muraenosaurus grew to around 6 metres (20 ft) long, with around half of that length being taken up by the animal's neck, which possessed 44 vertebrae. Behind the neck, Muraenosaurus had a short, relatively inflexible body and powerful flippers. The head was remarkably small compared to the overall size of the animal, being only around 37 centimetres (15 in) long.[1][2][3]
[edit] Media
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Muraenosaurus leedsi
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Muraenosaurus with a human to scale
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M. beloclis bones
[edit] References
- ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 75. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
- ^ Seeley, HG. 1874. On Murænosaurus Leedsii, a Plesiosaurian from the Oxford Clay. Part I. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society 30: 197-208.
- ^ Andrews, CW. 1913. A descriptive catalogue of the Marine Reptiles of the Oxford Clay, Part II. British Museum (Natural History). pp.205pp.
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