#eremiasaurus heterodontus

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Eremiasaurus heterodontus jaw

[ancientmarinereptiles]

Eremiasaurus heterodontus

Photo by: Leblanc et al., 2012

Name: Eremiasaurus heterodontus‭

Name Meaning: Desert lizard

First Described: 2012

Described By: Leblanc et al.,

Classification: Chordata, Tetrapoda, Reptilia, Squamata,‭ Mosasauridae, ‬Mosasaurinae

Eremiasaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous, specifically the Maastrichtian stage and has been found in Morocco of North Africa. The etymology of its name is fitting but also ironic at the same time, as it means ‘desert lizard’ in reference to the place of its discovery in present day Morocco. Anyways, various specimens that were found of Eremiasaurus had different type of teeth, which suggests that it may have went with the flow of eating whatever was available or around; it didn’t specialize on feeding on any particular kind of prey. Interestingly, Eremiasaurus has a lot of hip vertebrae (pygals) but fewer than Plotosaurus, a derived mosasaur who we will cover later down the road.

Sources:

http://www.paleofile.com/Lizards/Eremiasaurus.asp

http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/e/eremiasaurus.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eremiasaurus

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Tooth crown from Eremiasaurus heterodontus

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Eremiasaurus heterodontus