Fossil reptile of a Crocodile, Diplocynodon... - Lot 8 - FEE - Stanislas Machoïr

Lot 8
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Estimation :
11500 - 12500 EUR
Fossil reptile of a Crocodile, Diplocynodon... - Lot 8 - FEE - Stanislas Machoïr
Fossil reptile of a Crocodile, Diplocynodon , semi-aquatic animal. At the end of the Paleozoic, 255 million years ago, a group of reptiles called Archosaurs (sovereign reptiles) appeared. At the beginning of the Mesozoic era, these archosaurs evolved into three major lineages: the crocodilians (from which today's crocodiles originated), the pterosaurs (flying reptiles) and the dinosaurs. Crocodiles are, with birds, the last representatives of the sovereign reptiles. The Archosaurians are one of the largest groups of Reptiles. They include many fossil orders: Thecodonts, Dinosaurians, Pterosaurs and Crocodilians, the only group still living. The oldest Archosaurs are the Thecodonts which appeared in the Upper Devonian and became extinct at the end of the Triassic. It is very likely that they served as a source of all other orders. Crocodilians derived from the Thecodonts in the Triassic. From the primitive forms of the Triassic, in the Jurassic appeared a suborder of Crocodilians: the Mesosuchians, which lived until the end of the Cretaceous. In the Lower Jurassic, some Mesosuchians even adapted to marine life. Their anatomy is close to the current forms which supposes a comparable way of life. Among them, Goniopholis reminds the crocodile of Nîl. The pholidosaurids, with their long snout provided with pointed teeth, must have been piscivorous, like the gavials. Larger terrestrial crocodilians such as sebicids were probably capable of preying on large Eocene mammals. Crocodiles have not changed much in appearance since the Jurassic. The past distribution of Crocodilians was wider: they swam in European waters up to the present Sweden and were abundant in France, only 20 million years ago. Their last representatives were still living in Europe 5 million years ago. The fossil presented has a remarkable fossilization, in ventral position, upper view, in a circular arc, the legs visible on both sides of the bone plates well marked, they cover the back of the animal by row and presents a strongly pitted upper face. Two fundamental traits of crocodiles, secondary bony palate and pelvis shape. The palate will be modified allowing to breathe with a mouth full of water. Elongated and flattened skull, hand with 5 fingers, foot 4. Tip of the tail 7cm, bone of another crocodile, a finger of the left hind leg remade. From Gracanica in Bosnia. Dating from the Miocene 15,5 - 17 million years. Plate 100X73 cm crocodile : 121cm
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