Nothosaurus

Nothosaurus

▪ extinct reptile genus
      marine reptiles (reptile) found as fossils from the Triassic Period (251 million to 200 million years ago) in southwestern and eastern Asia, North Africa, and especially Europe.

      Nothosaurus was characterized by a slender body, long neck and tail, and long limbs. Although the animal was aquatic, the limbs were less specialized for swimming than they were in more advanced sauropterygians (sauropterygian) such as pistosaurs, pliosaurids, and plesiosaurids (plesiosaur). The palate in the nothosaurs was closed, the air passages being separated from the food passages—an adaptation that aided feeding while in the water. The skull was long and flat with large openings. Numerous pointed teeth were present along the margins of the jaws. Nothosaurus moved through the water by undulating its body and by swimming with its limbs. As did the other sauropterygians, Nothosaurus evolved from terrestrial reptiles distantly related to lizards (lizard) and snakes (snake).

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Nothosaurus — Temporal range: 240–210 Ma …   Wikipedia

  • Nothosaurus — Nothosaurus …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Nothosaurus —   [zu lateinisch nothus »unecht«, eigentlich »unehelich«], ausgestorbene, zu den Sauropterygiern gehörende Reptiliengattung aus der Trias. Nothosaurus war im unteren Muschelkalk bis 1,5 m, im oberen Muschelkalk bis 3 m lang, hatte einen langen,… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Nothosaurus — (N. Münst., Bastardsaurier), vorweltliche Eidechsengattung aus der Abtheilung der Enaliosaurier, Schädel gestreckt, aber nicht schnabelartig, die Augenhöhlen nicht von einem Ringe eingefaßt, davor die ovalen Nasenlöcher; Zähne kegelförmig, nach… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Nothosaurus —   Nothosaurus Rango temporal: Triásico …   Wikipedia Español

  • Nothosaurus — Reco …   Wikipédia en Français

  • nothosaurus — noth·o·sau·rus …   English syllables

  • nothosaurus — ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈsȯrəs noun Usage: capitalized Etymology: New Latin, from noth + saurus : a genus of extinct reptiles (suborder Nothosauria) resembling the plesiosaurs but having longer and more slender limbs less completely modified for swimming …   Useful english dictionary

  • genus Nothosaurus — noun a genus of Nothosauria • Hypernyms: ↑reptile genus • Member Holonyms: ↑Nothosauria, ↑suborder Nothosauria • Member Meronyms: ↑nothosaur …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sea Monsters (TV series) — Sea Monsters DVD cover Genre Documentary Created by Tim Haines Directed by Jasper James …   Wikipedia

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