Mesosaurus (meaning "middle lizard") is an extinct genus of reptile from the Early Permian of southern Africa and South America. Along with it, the genera Brazilosaurus and Stereosternum, it is a member of the family Mesosauridae and the order Mesosauria.

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 …

Mesosaurs ("middle lizards") were a group of small aquatic reptiles that lived during the early Permian period (Cisuralian), roughly 299 to 270 million years ago. Mesosaurs were the first known aquatic reptiles, having apparently returned to an aquatic lifestyle from more terrestrial ancestors.

Mesosaurus is an ancient reptile genus that is now extinct. As per fossil records, this extinct genus lived in the Early Permian period, which is between 299 and 271 mya or million years ago. They are thought to be the early aquatic relatives of the present-day reptiles and dwelled in South Africa and southern Africa.

2019年8月19日 · Get an in-depth profile of Mesosaurus, including this marine reptile's characteristics, behavior, and habitat.

Mesosaurus is an extinct marine reptile from the early to late Permian of southern Africa and South America. It was one of the first known marine reptiles, and had many adaptations to a fully aquatic lifestyle.

2023年11月30日 · What Is a Mesosaur? A Mesosaur is an extinct semi-aquatic reptile. As one of the earliest known reptiles to have returned to an aquatic lifestyle, Mesosaurs have provided valuable insights into the early adaptations of reptiles to different environments. When Did Mesosaurs Live?

2023年12月10日 · Mesosaurus was a small, aquatic reptile of the early Permian period, notable for its adaptation to a life in water. Its fossils provide key evidence for the theory of continental drift. Mesosaurus possessed unique traits making it distinct amongst early reptiles.

2025年1月3日 · Mesosaurs are a group of small aquatic reptiles that lived in South Africa and South America during the Permian period, roughly 299 to 270 million years ago. These creatures were the first known aquatic reptiles, having apparently returned to an aquatic lifestyle from more terrestrial ancestors.

Mesosaurs are the first secondarily aquatic amniotes and one of the most enigmatic clades of reptiles from the early Permian. They have long puzzled paleontologists with their unique morphologies: possessing an elongated skull with thin needle-like teeth, a long neck, large webbed hindlimbs, banana-shaped pachyosteosclerotic ribs, and a long tail.