Simosaurus

Name: Simosaurus.
Phonetic: Sim-oh-sor-us.
Named By: Meyer‭ ‬-‭ ‬1842.
Synonyms: Nothosaurus mougeoti,‭ ‬Simosaurus guilelmi,‭ ‬Simosaurus mougeoti.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Sauropterygia,‭ ‬Nothosauroidea,‭ ‬Simosauridae.
Species: O.‭ ‬gaillardoti‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Durophagovore‭?
Size: Roughly between‭ ‬3‭ ‬to‭ ‬4‭ ‬meters long.
Known locations: France.‭ ‬Germany‭ ‬-‭ ‬Erfurt Formation,‭ ‬Muschelkalk Formation,‭ ‬Raibl Formation.‭ ‬Italy‭ ‬-‭ ‬Rio del Lago Formation.
Time period: Mid/Late Triassic.
Fossil representation: Several individuals.




       Usually seen as a nothosaur,‭ ‬Simosaurus was a marine reptile that lived in European waters during the Triassic.‭ ‬The teeth of Simosaurus are quite blunt and while the jaws of Simosaurus are quite gracile,‭ ‬the way the muscles attached show that they could be closed very quickly.‭ ‬It is possible that Simosaurus used quick but proportionately powerful bites to crack up the shells of invertebrates like ammonites,‭ ‬especially those with thinner shells.

Further reading
-‭ ‬Osteology of Simosaurus gaillardoti and the relationships of stem-group Sauropterygia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Fieldiana Geology.‭ ‬28:‭ ‬1‭–‬85.‭ ‬-‭ ‬O.‭ ‬Rieppel‭ ‬-‭ ‬1994.



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