Aphanizocnemus
Encyclopedia
Aphanizocnemus is an extinct genus
of varanoid
lizard from Lebanon
. It is a marine lizard that lived during the Late Cretaceous
. It is often classified in the family Dolichosauridae as a close relative of snakes, although some studies have placed it as an even closer relative to snakes than dolichosaurids. Only one species of Aphanizocnemus is known, the type species
A. libanensis. A. libanensis was named in 1997 on the basis of a single complete skeleton.
Aphanizocnemus is about 30 centimetres (11.8 in) long, and the tail makes up half of its length. The hands and feet are very large in comparison to the limb bones. The flattened shape of the phalanges, or finger bones, suggests that the limbs of Aphanizocnemus formed paddles. Long projections of bone in the tail called chevrons give the tail a flattened, paddle-like shape. Aphanizocnemus was well adapted for an aquatic lifestyle, and probably spent much of its time swimming at the bottom of shallow lagoons.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of varanoid
Varanoidea
Varanoidea is a superfamily of lizards, including the well-known family Varanidae . Also included in the Varanoidea are such extinct marine and semi-aquatic forms as mosasaurs and dolichosaurs, the venomous helodermatids , the Lanthanotidae , and the extinct Necrosauridae.Throughout their long...
lizard from Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. It is a marine lizard that lived during the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
. It is often classified in the family Dolichosauridae as a close relative of snakes, although some studies have placed it as an even closer relative to snakes than dolichosaurids. Only one species of Aphanizocnemus is known, the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
A. libanensis. A. libanensis was named in 1997 on the basis of a single complete skeleton.
Aphanizocnemus is about 30 centimetres (11.8 in) long, and the tail makes up half of its length. The hands and feet are very large in comparison to the limb bones. The flattened shape of the phalanges, or finger bones, suggests that the limbs of Aphanizocnemus formed paddles. Long projections of bone in the tail called chevrons give the tail a flattened, paddle-like shape. Aphanizocnemus was well adapted for an aquatic lifestyle, and probably spent much of its time swimming at the bottom of shallow lagoons.