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HandWiki. Thalattosaur. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/36609 (accessed on 19 September 2026).
HandWiki. Thalattosaur. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/36609. Accessed September 19, 2026.
HandWiki. "Thalattosaur" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/36609 (accessed September 19, 2026).
HandWiki. (2022, November 25). Thalattosaur. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/36609
HandWiki. "Thalattosaur." Encyclopedia. Web. 25 November, 2022.
Thalattosaur
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The content is sourced from: https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biology:Thalattosaur

Thalattosauria (meaning "ocean lizards") is an extinct order of prehistoric marine reptiles that lived in the middle to late Triassic period. Thalattosaurs were diverse in size and shape, and are divided into two superfamilies: Askeptosauroidea and Thalattosauroidea. Askeptosauroids were endemic to the Tethys Ocean, their fossils have been found in Europe and China, and they were likely semiaquatic fish eaters with straight snouts and decent terrestrial abilities. Thalattosauroids were more specialized for aquatic life and most had unusual downturned snouts and crushing dentition. Thalattosauroids lived along the coasts of both Panthalassa and the Tethys Ocean, and were most diverse in China and western North America. The largest species of thalattosaurs grew to over 4 meters (13 feet) in length, including a long, flattened tail utilized in underwater propulsion. Although thalattosaurs bore a superficial resemblance to lizards, their exact relationships are unresolved. They are widely accepted as diapsids, but experts have variously placed them on the reptile family tree among Lepidosauromorpha (lizards and their relatives), Archosauromorpha (archosaurs and their relatives), ichthyosaurs, and/or other marine reptiles.

thalattosauroids thalattosauroidea thalattosauria

References

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