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GEOSAURUS
(jee-oh-sore-us)
meaning: "Earth lizard"
Named By: Georges Cuvier in 1824
Time Period: Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, 150-136 Ma
Location: France and Germany
Size: Around 3 meters long
Diet: Piscivore
Fossil(s): Multiple specimen
Classification: | Chordata | Reptilia | Archosauromorpha | Crurotarsi | Crocodylomorpha | Mesoeucrocodylia | Thalattosuchia | Metriorhynchidae |
Also known as: | Brachytaenius | Halilimnosaurus |
About

Geosaurus is an extinct genus of marine crocodyliform within the family Metriorhynchidae, that lived during the Late Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous. Geosaurus was a carnivore that spent much, if not all, its life out at sea. No Geosaurus eggs or nests have been discovered, so little is known of the reptile's lifecycle, unlike other large marine reptiles of the Mesozoic, such as plesiosaurs or ichthyosaurs which are known to give birth to live young out at sea. Where Geosaurus mated, whether on land or at sea, is currently unknown. The name Geosaurus means "Mother of Giants lizard", and is derived from the Greek Ge- ("Earth", the mythical mother of the Giants) and sauros -sauros ("lizard"). The name Geosaurus was established by the French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1824.

Read more about Geosaurus at Wikipedia
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