Dinocephalosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dinocephalosaurus |
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| Photograph (a) of specimen LPV 30280, which contains an fetus (c) and a perleidid fish (e) | |
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Dinocephalosaurus
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orientalis
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Dinocephalosaurus was a fascinating ancient reptile. It lived in the seas during the Triassic period, about 244 million years ago. This creature had a very long neck and was an aquatic Archosaur. Its name, Dinocephalosaurus, means "terrible-headed lizard".
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Discovering Dinocephalosaurus
The first fossil of Dinocephalosaurus was just a skull. It was found in 2002 near Xinmin in Guizhou Province, China. Soon after, another fossil was discovered nearby. This second find included the head and most of the body, but not the tail. These early discoveries helped scientists learn about this unique animal. Dinocephalosaurus was the first protorosaurid reptile found from the Middle Triassic period in China.
A Special Discovery: Live Births!
A new fossil found in Yunnan Province, southern China, showed something truly amazing. This fossil contained evidence of a baby Dinocephalosaurus inside its mother! This meant that Dinocephalosaurus gave birth to live young. It did not lay eggs like many other reptiles. This is called ovoviviparity.
This discovery is very important. It is the earliest known example of live birth in a huge group of animals called tetrapods. This group includes many well-known creatures. It includes dinosaurs, crocodiles, pterosaurs, and birds. This find changed what scientists thought about how ancient reptiles reproduced.
What Was Dinocephalosaurus Like?
Dinocephalosaurus was a type of archosaur. This is a large group of reptiles that also includes dinosaurs. Its incredibly long neck was likely very useful for hunting fish in the water. Scientists believe it was a skilled swimmer. It was related to another long-necked reptile called Tanystropheus. Both of these animals developed their long necks independently. This is a cool example of convergent evolution.
Images for kids
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Interpretive drawings of LPV 30280 (b) with its fetus (d); note the long neck
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Restoration
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Location of Luoping in Yunnan, China; Panxian is located in the neighboring Guizhou, to the east
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Map showing the location of Panxian and Luoping during the Anisian (a), with stratigraphic position of Luoping Dinocephalosaurus (b)
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Dinocephalosaurus and its close relative Tanystropheus, shown here, evolved their long necks convergently
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Life reconstruction of LPV 30280, shown eating a perleidid fish and bearing an embryo
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Aside from Dinocephalosaurus, metriorhynchids such as Metriorhynchus represent the only viviparous archosauromorphs
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The mixosaurian ichthyosaur Mixosaurus (or Barracudasauroides) panxianensis is frequently present alongside Dinocephalosaurus
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See also
In Spanish: Dinocephalosaurus para niños
