harmonytrio.blogg.se - The dinosaur and the missing link a prehistoric tragedy

Some schools still believe that both the processes were still missing.

However till date scientists are unable to confirm whether Dallasaurus was oviparous or viviparous in nature.

This would have aided the later Mosasaurs to lead a completely aquatic lifestyle. Fossil studies reveal that later in the Mosasaurs, these legs would have probably evolved into flippers. This helped the Dallasaurus to have preyed on a greater number of prey. Scientists presume that this kind of roaming behavior had a role to play in the oceanic expansion. It is believed that in land they would have possibly taken rest or would have to prey for other animals in different waters in the coastal area.

It was of an advantage to them as they had plenty of aquatic animals to prey on whereas after eating they could also have easily returned to the land. This bodily characteristics suggest that Dallasaurus were probably inhabiting coastal areas or in the estuarine waters. Again the hind legs have a better adaptation for walking. Fossil studies show that the body and tail of Dallasaurus have shown adaptation for swimming. Rather it should be worth mentioning that though marine reptiles including ichthyosaurus, Pliosaurus and plesiosaurus have been proven to have evolved from terrestrial reptiles belonging to the diapsid clan but the evolution of Mosasaurs have been found to be belonging to a completely different lineage.ĭallasaurus has been considered to be having an important transitional link as they have proven to be evolved from terrestrial to aquatic origin.

The scientific diagnoses of the fossils suggested otherwise. However the later concept was gradually dismissed with the new discoveries of early Mosasaurs along with different cretaceous snakes. However there also has been a counter theory that Mosasaurs have evolved from primitive snakes. Skeletal features observed in the Dallasaurus exhibited remarkable evidence to make it believe that Mosasaurs evolved from the terrestrial lizards. The discovery of Dallasaurus is quite fascinating for the lovers of marine reptiles as they swam the oceans during the Mesozoic era. Dallasaurus was thus considered to be among the earliest tetrapods.

This indicated that this animal possessed a semi aquatic life style.

Fossil study suggests that Dallasaurus possessed movable flippers resembling limbs.

They were believed to be preying on the fish and other marine fauna. Dallasaurus is considered to be the most distant ancestor to the fierce and sleek marine reptiles that were predators of the ocean.

Dallasaurus has a great evolutionary importance as it is considered to be the most basal Mosasaur.

The mid west and west America was actually covered with shallow seas during the cretaceous period. Especially when it is about dinosaurs belonging to the Mesozoic era, aquatic fossils are found in plenty when compared to the ones that were considered to be land bound.

A very common irony has been observed in the discovery of dinosaur fossils. Rather fossil studies indicate that it very much resembled a seal. But to the disappointment Dallasaurus was a rather sleek and small animal that was probably semi aquatic in habitat. It has been a comical tragedy that by the standards of general public, a reptile named after the state of Dallas is expected to be big, something land bound, and something that could have probably resembled a buffalo. Fossil records suggest Dallasaurus were around three feet in length and weighed around twenty five pounds. Fossil records suggest that these animals inhabited the oceans of North America approximately during the mid cretaceous period believed to be anything around ninety million years ago. Dallasaurus pronounced Dall-oh-sore-us, is the Greek word standing for the ‘Lizard of Dallas’.