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literally translated "Middle Lizard"
Lived in the Mesozoic Ear (Age of the Reptiles)
It was a kind of dinosaur.
Was one of the first kind of marine reptiles, and had many adaptions to aquatic lifstyles.
Think: an elegant, dinosaur-like, really big, Crocodile!
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CoachMesosaurus was a prehistoric marine reptile that lived during the early Permian period, around 299-271 million years ago. It was an aquatic animal that resembled a modern-day crocodile, with a long body, webbed feet, and sharp teeth for catching prey. Mesosaurus is important in the study of evolution because its fossil remains have been found in both South America and Africa, providing evidence of continental drift.
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Explain this distribution of mesosaurus fossils?
The theory of plate tectonics easily explains the distribution of mesosaurus. When mesosaurus was alive, all of the continents were massed together into the supercontinent Pangaea. Therefor, South America and Africa met because there was no Atlantic Ocean, so the distribution of mesosaurus makes complete sense.
What did the mesosaurus eat?
Mesosaurus was one of the first marine reptiles. It had numerous thin teeth that weren't adept to catch fish. It is believed that mesosaurus ate plankton.
How does Mesosaurus fossils support the past existence of Pangaea?
Mesosaurus fossils found in both South America and Africa suggest that these continents were once connected. Mesosaurus was a freshwater reptile, incapable of crossing vast oceans, which implies the existence of a single landmass – Pangaea – where the species lived and later separated due to continental drift.
What was the fossilized reptile found in S America and in Africa that was used for evidence for continental drift?
The fossilized reptile found in South America and Africa that provided evidence for continental drift is called Mesosaurus. Mesosaurus was a freshwater reptile that lived about 300 million years ago and its presence on both continents suggested that they were once connected. This finding supported the theory of continental drift proposed by Alfred Wegener.
What was the fossil that was found on different continents and was used to support the theory of continental drift?
The fossil that was found on different continents and used to support the theory of continental drift is the Mesosaurus. This extinct freshwater reptile had limited swimming abilities, making it unlikely that it could have crossed vast oceans. Its distribution on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean provided evidence of land connections that later formed the basis for the theory of continental drift.
