#sauropsida

[peregrinethegryphon]

Comparing Superficial Traits From Opposite Ends of the Sauropsid Family Tree Through a Visual Medium to Make a Point

~OR~

Birds Are Reptiles: The Gifset

Footage Sources: (x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

[doq]

Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) & bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus)

[er-cryptid]

Clade Sauropsida

Patreon

[raviotheraviolis]

Dino time yall

[animalids]

Sailfin lizard (Hydrosaurus celebensis)

Photo by Chien Lee

[galswintha]

Look whom I found at the border of Cienkowice village.

[alphynix]

Named after a legendary Scandinavian serpent, Joermungandr bolti here was a recumbisrostran "microsaur" – part of a group of animals that were traditionally considered to be lepospondyl amphibians, but more recently have been proposed to in fact be a lineage of early reptiles.

Discovered in the Mazon Creek fossil beds in Illinois, USA, this species dates to the late Carboniferous period around 310 million years ago. A single near-complete specimen about 5cm long (~2") preserves impressions of the body outline and numerous tiny scales, giving us a pretty good idea of what it looked like in life.

Joermungandr had a long streamlined tubular body with small limbs and a short tapering tail, and a stubby snout with fused bones heavily reinforcing its skull. Along with microscopic ridges on its body scales that resemble the dirt-repelling scales of some modern reptiles, this combination of features suggest it was a headfirst burrower that wriggled its way through soil with snakelike motions.

———

Nix Illustration | Tumblr | Twitter | Patreon

[coffeenuts]

Gonatodes albogularis, Sphaerodactylidae. by Mary Torres E. https://flic.kr/p/2ntxwmU