Megalancosaurus
Encyclopedia
Megalancosaurus is a genus
of extinct reptile from the Late Triassic
period of Northern Italy
, and one of the best known drepanosaurids
. The type species
is M. preonensis; a translation of the animal's scientific name would be "long armed reptile from the Preone Valley."
and probably lived a similar arboreal lifestyle. Even its feet were chameleon like, with two toes being opposed to the remaining three. The tail is long, prehensile, and bears a strange claw like organ made of fused vertebrae at its end. Its shoulders formed a withers
that would have served as an attachment site for especially strong muscles.
Some specimens have an opposable digit on the feet. Because not all members of the species appear to bear this digit, it has been speculated that it is an instance of sexual dimorphism
, only being possessed by whatever gender needed a stronger grip on the branch during copulation.
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 extinct reptile from the Late Triassic
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is in the geologic timescale the third and final of three epochs of the Triassic period. The corresponding series is known as the Upper Triassic. In the past it was sometimes called the Keuper, after a German lithostratigraphic group that has a roughly corresponding age...
period of Northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and one of the best known drepanosaurids
Drepanosauridae
Drepanosaurs are a group of strange reptiles that lived during the Carnian stage of the late Triassic Period, between 220 and 216 million years ago. The various species of drepanosaurid were characterized by odd specialized grasping limbs and often prehensile tails, adaptions for arboreal , and/or...
. 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...
is M. preonensis; a translation of the animal's scientific name would be "long armed reptile from the Preone Valley."
Anatomy
Megalancosaurus was fairly small, its adult length was only about 25 centimeters (10 inches). It was built like a chameleonChameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
and probably lived a similar arboreal lifestyle. Even its feet were chameleon like, with two toes being opposed to the remaining three. The tail is long, prehensile, and bears a strange claw like organ made of fused vertebrae at its end. Its shoulders formed a withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
that would have served as an attachment site for especially strong muscles.
Some specimens have an opposable digit on the feet. Because not all members of the species appear to bear this digit, it has been speculated that it is an instance of sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, only being possessed by whatever gender needed a stronger grip on the branch during copulation.
Related Animals
- DolabrosaurusDolabrosaurusDolabrosaurus is a genus of extinct reptile and a member of the family Drepanosauridae....
- DrepanosaurusDrepanosaurusDrepanosaurus is a genus of arboreal reptile that lived during the Triassic Period. Only one specimen of Drepanosaurus has thus far been found. Sadly this specimen was incomplete and lacked a head and neck...
- HypuronectorHypuronectorHypuronector is a genus of extinct reptile from the Triassic Period that lived in what is now New Jersey. The etymology of the name translates as "deep-tailed swimmer from the lake." A member of the Simiosauria, Hypuronector is related to the arboreal Megalancosaurus. It was a small animal,...
- VallesaurusVallesaurusVallesaurus is an extinct genus of Late Triassic elyurosaur drepanosauromorph. First found in Northern Italy in 1975, it is one of the most primitive drepanosaurs. V. cenenis is the type species, named in 2006. A second species, V...