恐龍卡第 0445 張，共 2 027 張

Contectopalatus

名字的意思： “covered plate”1

吃：肉魚龍類三疊紀中期嚴格來說不是恐龍

Contectopalatus was a marine reptile that lived in the ocean during the Triassic Period. It had a very tall crest on its head made of bone, which helped it bite hard. It was one of the biggest ichthyosaurs of its time.2

趣味小知識：這種海生爬蟲類在海裡游泳的時候，恐龍正在陸地上走路。大家都叫牠們恐龍，但牠們其實是爬蟲類的另一個分支。

生存年代

247 到 237 百萬年前4

三疊紀中期

化石發現地

Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland4

長度

5 m (16 ft)2

最高速度

時速約 46 公里（29 英里）

游泳, 估計值

牠生活在什麼時候？

三疊紀

侏羅紀

白堊紀

2 億 5200 萬年前20114566，小行星撞地球

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 5 隻狗從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 28 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長能在 3.9 秒內游完一座大泳池（50 公尺）

Contectopalatus 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡算算數學。什麼都不會被儲存或傳送出去。

牠有多快？

走路的人 時速約 5 公里 (3 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 時速約 12 公里 (7 mph)

Contectopalatus 時速約 46 公里 (29 mph)

一匹飛奔的馬 時速約 65 公里 (40 mph)

一隻獵豹 時速約 100 公里 (62 mph)

酷東西

趣味知識

Contectopalatus had a very high crest on its skull made from the nasal, frontal and parietal bones. This crest grew taller as the animal got older.2

Its jaw muscles were arranged in a unique way. They stretched all the way up to the nostril opening on top of the skull.2

This special muscle arrangement gave Contectopalatus a very strong bite. It was one of the top predators in the Triassic seas.2

Contectopalatus was about 5 metres long. That makes it the largest known mixosaurid ichthyosaur.2

Mixosaurids like Contectopalatus were once thought to be small and simple. But they were actually highly specialized and diverse.2

Contectopalatus 的 AI 繪圖 — 這是電腦根據科學家目前的知識，用 AI 畫出 Contectopalatus 可能的樣子。這只是猜測：真正的動物可能長得不一樣，也沒有人知道牠真正的顏色。

你們都在問

關於 Contectopalatus 最常被問的問題

?How big was Contectopalatus?

It was about 5 metres (16 feet) long, making it the largest known mixosaurid ichthyosaur.2 3

?What did Contectopalatus eat?

It was a top predator that ate fish and other marine animals. Its strong bite and special teeth helped it catch and eat its prey.2

?Is Contectopalatus a dinosaur?

No, it was an ichthyosaur, a marine reptile that lived in the ocean. It is not a dinosaur.2

給恐龍專家

學名: Contectopalatus
命名者: Maisch and Matzke 19984
類群: 魚龍類
科 / 演化支: Mixosauridae4
分類: Ichthyosauria > Ichthyosauromorpha4
岩石的年代: 247 到 237 百萬年 ()4
岩層: Monte San Giorgio bituminous shales4
國家: 瑞士4
化石紀錄: The Paleobiology Database 收錄 1 筆4
發現: The first fossils were described by Quenstedt in 1851 to 52 as Ichthyosaurus atavus. In 1998, Maisch and Matzke renamed it Contectopalatus after studying its skull.1
仍有爭議: Scientists are still debating exactly how the tall crest and jaw muscles worked together to give Contectopalatus such a powerful bite.2