Paludidraco

Paludidraco had an extremely heavy, pachyostotic skeleton, meaning its bones were very thick and dense. This helped it float at shallow depths without using much energy, just like modern manatees.2

Its jaws were very slender and weak, and its teeth were small, curved, and set in a groove (pleurodont implantation). This is very different from most other marine reptiles of its time.1

Paludidraco had more than 15 teeth in its premaxilla (the front part of the upper jaw), which is a unique feature among its family, Simosauridae.1

Scientists think Paludidraco was not an active predator. Its weak jaws could not catch struggling prey, and its heavy body made it slow and not very maneuverable.1

The name Paludidraco comes from Latin words meaning 'marshy dragon', because its fossils were found near a reservoir called El Atance in Spain.1

Paludidraco lived during the Late Triassic period, about 237 to 205 million years ago, in what is now central Spain.4