What did the Odontochelys eat?

What is the difference between Odontochelys and Proganochelys?

This much bigger turtle had fewer teeth than Odontochelys, and the prominent spikes on its neck meant that it couldn’t fully retract its head under its shell (it also possessed an ankylosaur -like clubbed tail). Most important, the carapace of Proganochelys was “fully baked”: hard, snug and pretty much impervious to hungry predators.

Where can I find a list of all pterosaur genera?

There is no official, canonical list of pterosaur genera, but the most thorough attempts can be found at the Pterosauria section of Mikko Haaramo’s Phylogeny Archive, the Genus Index at Mike Hanson’s The Pterosauria, supplemented by the Pterosaur Species List, and in the fourth supplement of Donald F. Glut ‘s Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia series.

Where was the first Cretaceous pterosaur found?

“First record of Early Cretaceous pterosaur from the Ordos Region, Inner Mongolia, China”. China Geology. 3 (1): 1–7. doi: 10.31035/cg2020007.

Why do most reptiles have beaks and teeth?

Stegosaurs and ceratopsians both had beaks and teeth, with no evidence of any reduction in teeth. A possible answer is that most reptiles are fairly homodont. meaning that their teeth are all pretty much the same. One crocodile tooth looks pretty much like another. Beaks could be used therefore as a way of increasing “tooth” complexity.

Why don’t Mammals chew like reptiles do?

Reptiles can get away with the limited amount of chewing because they have slow metabolisms for the most part and the food has a much longer residency time in the gut than in mammals. Mammals have to eat so much that they really can’t afford to take forever to digest their food, as opposed to the weeks that reptiles can take to digest their food.

Did Proganochelys have teeth?

A slightly younger fossil species, Proganochelys quenstedi, also had teeth, but the teeth were located on the roof of the mouth, not on the upper or lower jaw. In contrast to Odontochelys, the shell of Proganochelys possessed most of the features of modern turtles, and it completely encased the shoulder and pelvic girdles.

What is the scientific name for a turtle with a shell?

Odontochelys. The primitive turtle swam in shallow marine waters close to shore. The species’ name, Odontochelys semitestacea literally means “toothed turtle with a half-shell” – an apt description of its most striking physical characteristics.

What kind of animal is a turtle with a half shell?

Odontochelys semitestacea (meaning “toothed turtle with a half-shell”) is a Late Triassic relative of turtles. Before Pappochelys was discovered and Eunotosaurus was redescribed, Odontochelys was considered the oldest undisputed member of Pantestudines (i.e. a stem -turtle).

What is the difference between Odontochelys and modern turtles?

Instead of a solid carapace, Odontochelys had broadened ribs like those of modern turtle embryos that still have not started developing the ossified plates of a carapace. In a comparison of skull proportions, the skull of Odontochelys is far more elongated in front of the eyes compared to other turtles.

Where can I find a list of all dinosaur genera?

There is no official, canonical list of dinosaur genera. The closest is the Dinosaur Genera List, compiled by biological nomenclature expert George Olshevsky, which was first published online in 1995 and is regularly updated. The most authoritative general source in the field is the second (2004) edition of The Dinosauria.

What is the other name of pterosaur?

Alternative Title: Pterosauria. Pterosaur, any of the flying reptiles that flourished during all periods (Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous) of the Mesozoic Era (252.2 million to 66 million years ago).

When did the first pterosaur fossil appear?

The first pterosaur fossils were described in 1784, and countless pterosaur remains have turned up since then, dating as far back as 220 million years during the Triassic period to about 65 million years ago, at the end- Cretaceous extinction.

What was the first pterosaur?

Rhamphorhynchoids were the first pterosaurs, and they are found in deposits from the Late Triassic Epoch (229 million to 200 million years ago). Genera of this group include Eudimorphodon and Peteinosaurus, both found in Italian Triassic deposits; these had wingspans of less than 1 metre (3.3 feet).

Why do birds have beaks and not teeth?

Sure, the most straightforward answer might be: “because that’s how they’re born” — but in all actuality, there’s a reason why birds have beaks and not teeth. Still stumped on the answer? Let us explain: Believe it or not, birds had existed around the time of the dinosaurs — and once had teeth.

Do reptiles have teeth?

Reptiles don’t have incisors like mammals. You might say they are at a disadvantage in trying to nip things off without sharp teeth in the front. Beaks provide an answer to this problem by providing a nice cutting surface at the front of the mouth.

Why do turtles have a beak?

The easy answer is that they evolved from animals that had beaks and had lost their teeth. Certainly the most primitive turtle fossil we have already has a beak, so it is no surprise that all other turtles do too. Though why they might have done so is a mystery. Reptiles in general don’t do a lot of chewing.

What is the difference between Proganochelys and Chinlechelys?

Joyce (2017) also considered North American genus Chinlechelys to be a junior synonym of Proganochelys, though the author maintains the type species of the former genus, C. tenertesta, as a distinct species within the genus Proganochelys.

Where were the earliest Proganochelys fossils found?

The earliest fossils of Proganochelys were discovered in Germany in the rural towns of Halberstadt, Tübingen, and Trossingen. The fossils were found in an elaborate formation of shales, sandstones, and some limestone piles, with the formation believed to be between 220 and 205 million years old.

What is the dermal roofing of Proganochelys?

The dermal roofing elements of Proganochelys include a large nasal, a fully roofed skull, a flat squamosal, and an absent pineal foramen. Palatal characteristics include paired vomers, and a dorsal process containing premaxilla.

Why do turtles have bony shells?

Several researchers suggested that bony plates embedded in the skin, called osteoderms, which are found in crocodilians and some other reptiles, had fused to the underlying bones of the turtle to form a solid bony shell.