Dactylosaurus

Dactylosaurus was one of the smallest members of its family, Pachypleurosauridae, measuring only about 50 cm (1.6 ft) long.1

Its name comes from Greek words meaning 'finger lizard', because of its long, slender fingers.1

Dactylosaurus had 17 neck vertebrae and its skull had large, kidney-shaped openings behind the eyes.1

The first fossil of Dactylosaurus was a partial skeleton of a juvenile, and scientists originally thought it was a different species called D. schroederi.1

Dactylosaurus lived about 247 to 241 million years ago, during the Early and Middle Triassic.3

Its bones became hard (ossified) at a much smaller size than other pachypleurosaurs, which helped scientists identify it.2

Dactylosaurus fossils are often found in shelly limestone called Muschelkalk in Poland and the Netherlands.1