Page 13 - Dinosaur (DK Eyewitness Books)

5(37,/(6 7$.( )/,*+7 Elongated fourth finger
Flexible neck A flying reptile about 28 in (70 cm) long, Eudimorphodon was supports the wing
one of the earliest-known pterosaurs, which were relatives of
dinosaurs. It had skin wings, toothy jaws, and a long, bony tail.
Eudimorphodon flew over what is now north Italy about 210
million years ago, perhaps seizing small fish with its sharp teeth.

Clawed finger

Armored back

Front teeth
project
Wing made of skin
forward
Bony tail
$5025(' 6($ 5(37,/(6
Beak for Placodus (“flat tooth“) belonged
cropping plants to a group of reptiles called
placodonts, one of several
kinds of large reptiles living in
Triassic seas. It was as long as a man.
About 200 million years ago, this
sprawling, short-necked creature
plucked shellfish from rocks with
its jutting front teeth, then crushed
them using flat teeth in the
roof of its mouth.
Sprawling limb
Fossil skull
Fur probably
covered body
7+( (0(5*(1&( 2) 0$00$/6
3/$17ʜ($7,1* 5(37,/(6 Mammals emerged in the Triassic Period,
Several groups of giant reptile dominated Triassic evolving from reptilelike ancestors. Small,
wildlife before dinosaurs gradually replaced them. This shrewlike Megazostrodon lived in southern
beaked skull comes from Hyperodapedon, a piglike reptile Africa as the Triassic Period was ending.
with a big head and a squat, barrel-shaped body. It This furry creature had almost all
was one of the rhynchosaurs, a group of plant-eating the features of a mammal. It
reptiles that chopped up seed ferns with their teeth. would have snapped up
Hyperodapedon was widespread 220 million years ago. insects and baby lizards but
kept well clear of hungry
dinosaurs. Megazostrodon
probably spent the daytime
hiding in a hole and only
ventured out to hunt at night.

Mammal-like teeth of
different shapes and sizes

PLATEOSAURUS 0<$ EOCURSOR 0<$ COELOPHYSIS 0<$
This prosauropod grew up to 26 ft (8 m) long, A plant-eater slightly larger than a fox, Eocursor is This theropod was longer than a man, but lighter. It
but the bulky plant-eater supported itself on its the only Triassic ornithischian dinosaur for which had slim, pointed jaws and small, sharp teeth, and
hind limbs only. Plateosaurus might have roamed in fairly complete fossils have been found. Eocursor swallowed smaller creatures whole. Paleontologists
herds and was widespread in Late Triassic Europe. ran very fast and lived in Triassic South Africa. found many of its skeletons in New Mexico.

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