Where did a Mesosaurus live?

Where did a Mesosaurus live?

South America
Mesosaurus was a lizard-like animal that lived in South America and Africa during the Permian Period. Mesosaurus is considered one of the earliest aquatic relatives of reptiles and mammals [1].

Is it likely that Mesosaurus swam back and forth?

Is it likely that Mesosaurus swam back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean? Yes, because fossils were found in only two regions that are now separated by the Atlantic Ocean.

What is the distribution of Mesosaurus fossils?

These fossils were found in only two regions, southern Africa and the southern part of South America. The shaded areas on the map show where fossils of Mesosaurus have been discovered. This distribution is a curious one—only two regions far from each other and separated by the Atlantic Ocean.

What is the land like where Mesosaurus fossils were found?

Chapter 1: What is the land like where Mesosaurus fossils are found? Students figure out: The Mesosaurus fossils are found in hard, solid rock on two different plates of Earth’s surface: the South American and African plates. Earth’s outer layer is made of hard, solid rock, and divided into sections called plates.

What did a Mesosaurus look like?

Mesosaurus fossils have been found in South America and Africa. Mesosaurus means “middle lizard,” and these creatures were ancient lizards that looked a bit like small crocodiles, with narrow heads and long tails. They had webbed feet and grew to about 1 meter (3.3 feet) long.

How did the Mesosaurus move?

It probably propelled itself through the water with its long hind legs and flexible tail. Its body was also flexible and could easily move sideways, but it had heavily thickened ribs, which would have prevented it from twisting its body. Mesosaurus had a small skull with long jaws.

Where did Mesosaurus live when the continents were still joined?

Remains of Mesosaurus, a freshwater crocodile-like reptile that lived during the early Permian (between 286 and 258 million years ago), are found solely in Southern Africa and Eastern South America. It would have been physiologically impossible for Mesosaurus to swim between the continents.

What is the land like where Mesosaurus fossils are found quizlet?

What is the land like where the Mesosaurus fossils are found? The fossils are found in both South America and Africa, about 4,000km apart. Why are fossils of speices that once lived together found in diffent locations on Earth now? The plates can move causing landmasses to move apart from each other.

Where did the Mesosaurus reptile live in the past?

See Article History. Mesosaurus, (genus Mesosaurus), early aquatic relative of reptiles, found as fossils from the Early Permian Period (299 million to 271 million years ago) in South Africa and South America. Mesosaurus lived in freshwater lakes and ponds. Elongated and slim, it measured about 1 metre (3.3 feet) long.

Why was the distribution of mesosaurs so important?

Because it is unlikely that the mesosaurs could have traversed broad stretches of saline open ocean, their geographic distribution provided paleontological evidence corroborating the hypothesis that the continents of the Southern Hemisphere were once joined. The distribution of mesosaurs was thus some of the earliest proof of continental drift.

Can a Mesosaurus have crossed the Atlantic Ocean?

As Mesosaurus was a coastal animal, and therefore less likely to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean, this distribution indicated that the two continents used to be joined together. ^ Piñeiro, G.; Ramos, A.; Goso, C.; Scarabino, F.; Laurin, M. (2012).

Which is larger a Stereosternum or a Mesosaurus?

Mesosaurus had a long skull that was larger than that of Stereosternum and had longer teeth. The teeth are angled outwards, especially those at the tips of the jaws. The bones of the postcranial skeleton are thick, having undergone pachyostosis.