Dallasaurus
Dallasaurus was a small, ancient marine lizard that lived in the sea about 92 million years ago. It could walk on land too, like a modern seal, because its legs were not yet flippers.1
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Fun facts
Dallasaurus is one of the oldest mosasaurs found in North America, living about 92 million years ago.1
It was small for a mosasaur, only about 1 meter (3.3 feet) long, much smaller than later giant mosasaurs.1
Dallasaurus had legs that could still walk on land, so it lived both in the water and on shore, like a seal.1
Its fossils were found in a housing construction site in Texas, and the site is now covered by buildings.1
The species name turneri honors amateur fossil collector Van Turner, who found the first specimen.1
Dallasaurus is a close relative of later, fully marine mosasaurs that had flippers instead of legs.3
Most asked questions about Dallasaurus
?Was Dallasaurus a dinosaur?
No, Dallasaurus was a marine lizard, not a dinosaur. It was a mosasauroid, a type of ancient reptile that lived in the sea.1
?How big was Dallasaurus?
Dallasaurus was small, only about 1 metre (3.3 feet) long. That is much smaller than later giant mosasaurs.1
?Could Dallasaurus walk on land?
Yes, Dallasaurus could walk on land. Its legs were not yet flippers, so it lived an amphibious lifestyle like a modern seal.1
?What did Dallasaurus eat?
The sources do not say exactly what Dallasaurus ate. As a small marine lizard, it probably ate small fish and other sea creatures.1
?When did Dallasaurus live?
Dallasaurus lived about 92 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. It is one of the oldest mosasaurs found in North America.1
?Where was Dallasaurus found?
Its fossils were found in Dallas County, Texas, at a housing construction site. The site is now covered by buildings.1
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Dallasaurus
- Named by
- Bell and Polcyn 20054
- Group
- Mosasaurs
- Family / clade
- Mosasauridae4
- Classification
- Mosasauroidea4
- Age of the rocks
- 94 to 90 million years (Turonian)4
- Rock formations
- Kamp Ranch Limestone4
- Countries
- USA4
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Discovery
- Dallasaurus was named in 2005 by scientists Bell and Polcyn based on two partial skeletons found in Dallas County, Texas. The first skeleton was discovered by amateur collector Van Turner.12
Where the facts come from
- Dallasaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Dallasaurus turneri, a new primitive mosasauroid from the Middle (cambridge.org)
- Dallasaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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