Extinct Prehistoric Reptile That Lived Among Dinosaurs Discovered by Smithsonian Researchers
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 3:38 am
https://scitechdaily.com/extinct-prehis ... searchers/
Discovery sheds light on the tuatara, the last living member of a once-diverse group of reptiles that has almost entirely been supplanted by lizards.
A new extinct species of lizard-like reptile that belongs to the same ancient lineage as New Zealand’s living tuatara has been discovered by Smithsonian researchers. The new species Opisthiamimus gregori, which once inhabited Jurassic North America about 150 million years ago alongside dinosaurs like Stegosaurus and Allosaurus, is described in a paper published on September 15, 2022, in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. In life, this prehistoric reptile would have been about 16 centimeters (about 6 inches) from nose to tail—and would fit curled up in the palm of an adult human hand. It likely survived on a diet of insects and other invertebrates.
Discovery sheds light on the tuatara, the last living member of a once-diverse group of reptiles that has almost entirely been supplanted by lizards.
A new extinct species of lizard-like reptile that belongs to the same ancient lineage as New Zealand’s living tuatara has been discovered by Smithsonian researchers. The new species Opisthiamimus gregori, which once inhabited Jurassic North America about 150 million years ago alongside dinosaurs like Stegosaurus and Allosaurus, is described in a paper published on September 15, 2022, in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. In life, this prehistoric reptile would have been about 16 centimeters (about 6 inches) from nose to tail—and would fit curled up in the palm of an adult human hand. It likely survived on a diet of insects and other invertebrates.