FOSSILS SPECIMEN: NOTHOSAURS

Fossils are defined as any evidence of prehistoric life. There are two types of fossils: Body Fossils include remains of skeletal bones, shell, carapace, test and teeth. Trace Fossils are clues the organism existed such as foot prints, tracks, burrows and coprolites (fossil dung). The rock a fossil is found and or displayed in is called the matrix.

Nothosaurs were Triassic marine reptiles that may have had a similar lifesyles to modern seals. The Order: Nothosauroidea consist of two suborders. Nothosauria which include the two families Nothosauridae and Simosauridae; I have models of both. To see my model/toy Nothosaurs click here. The other suborder Pachypleurosauris, are small primitive forms and have an uncertain placement in Nothosauroidea. 

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Class: Reptilia – Clade: Diapsida – Superorder: Sauropterygia – Orther: Nothosauroidea – Family: Nothosauridae

(nothosaur)

Triassic Period

Pachypleurosaurus edwardsi

Synaptosaurian, Nothosaur

Triassic

Italy