Megalancosaurus
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| Megalancosaurus Fossil range: Late Triassic |
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 Megalancosaurus preonensis
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M. preonensis Calzavara, Muscio, & Wild, 1981 (type) |
Megalancosaurus is a genus of extinct reptile from the Late Triassic period of Northern Italy, and one of the best known simiosaurs. A translation of the animal's generic name would be "long armed reptile from the Preone Valley."
[edit] Anatomy
Megalancosaurus was fairly small as far as Mesozoic reptiles go, its adult length was only about 25 centimeters (10 inches). It was built like a chameleon and probably lived a similar arboreal lifestyle. Even it's feet were chameleon like, with two toes being opposed to the remaining three. The tail is long, prehensile, and bears a strange claw like organ made of fused vertebrae at its end. Its shoulders formed a withers that would have served as an attachment site for especially strong muscles.
Some specimens have an opposable digit on the feet. Because not all members of the species appear to bear this digit, it has been speculated that it is an instance of sexual dimorphism, only being possessed by whatever gender needed a stronger grip on the branch during copulation.
[edit] Related Animals
[edit] External links
Hairy Museum of Natural History page on simosaurs
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