Teleosaurus
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| Teleosaurus Temporal range: 171–164Ma Bajocian - Bathonian |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| (unranked): | Mesoeucrocodylia |
| Suborder: | Thalattosuchia |
| Family: | Teleosauridae |
| Genus: | Teleosaurus Geoffroy, 1825 |
| Species | |
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Teleosaurus was an extinct genus of teleosaurid crocodyliform that lived during the Middle Jurassic. It was approximately 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length.
Teleosaurus had highly elongate jaws, similar to those of a modern gharial. It had a long, slender, body, with a sinuous tail that would have helped propel it through the water. Its forelimbs were remarkably short, and would probably have been held close to the body when swimming to improve the animal's streamlining. Unlike modern crocodilians, it lived in the open ocean, and it probably caught fish and squid with its sharp, needle-like teeth.[1]
References [edit]
- ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 99. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
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