Animal Species:Pliosaur

Pliosaurs were aquatic carnivorous reptiles, not dinosaurs, that lived between 220 and 70 million years ago. This pliosaur has not yet been named scientifically but may be a specimen of Yuzhoupliosaurus chengjiangensis.

Pliosaur

Pliosaur
© Australian Museum

Identification

Pliosaurs had:

  • large, sharp, serrated teeth for catching prey;
  • lungs for breathing air;
  • modified paddle-like limbs (like those of a penguin) which they used to swim through the water.

Feeding Habit

carnivorous

What does this mean?

Fossils

Yuzhoupliosaurus chengjiangensis was named after the place where it was discovered - Chongqing - which was known as Yuzhou in ancient times.

Evolutionary Relationships

Pliosaurs are short-necked plesiosaurs. They are more closely related to lizards and snakes than to dinosaurs and birds.


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Tags chinese dinosaurs, marine reptile, pliosaur, plesiosaur,