Angolasaurus

An-go-la-sore-us.
Published on

Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Angolasaurus ‭(‬Angola lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

An-go-la-sore-us.

Named By

Miguel Telles Antunes‭ ‬-‭ ‬1964.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Squamata,‭ ‬Mosasauridae,‭ ‬Plioplatecarpinae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬bocagei

Size

Roughly about 4 meters long.

Known locations

Angola.

Time Period

Turonian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial remains.

In Depth

       Although first discovered in Angola,‭ ‬it‭’‬s entirely plausible that Angolasaurus had a wider distribution since it was a marine creature and had the freedom of the ocean to travel.‭ ‬As a plioplatecarpine mosasaur,‭ ‬Angolasaurus is considered to be related to Platecarpus,‭ ‬Plioplatecarpus and Selmasaurus amongst others.

Further Reading

– O Neocretacio e o Cenozoico do litoral de Angola. – Junta de Investigcoes do Ultramar 1-254. – M. T. Antunes – 1964. – The mosasaur “Angolasaurus” bocagei (Reptilia: Mosasauridae) from the Turonian of Angola re-interpreted as the earliest member of the genus Platecarpus. – Pal�ontologische Zeitschrift. 68 (1–2). – Theagartan Lingham-Soliar – 1994. – The occurrence and geological setting of cretaceous dinosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and turtles from Angola. – Paleont. Soc. Korea. 22. – Louis L. Jacobs, Oct�vio Mateus, Michael J. Polcyn, Anne S. Schulp, Miguel Telles Antunes, Maria Lu�sa Morais & Tatiana da Silva Tavares – 2006.

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