Knowra Champsosaurus Champsosaurus Champsosaurus is an extinct genus of aquatic choristodere reptiles known from the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene. Its long, narrow snout and streamlined body suited it to life in freshwater.
Choristodera : Choristodera is an extinct group of aquatic or semiaquatic reptiles that lived from the Triassic to the Miocene. Champsosaurus belongs to this group, whose members shared adaptations to life in or near water.
Rostrum (anatomy) : A rostrum is the projecting front portion of an animal’s head, especially its snout. Champsosaurus had a long, narrow rostrum lined with numerous teeth.
Late Cretaceous : The Late Cretaceous is the final epoch of the Cretaceous Period, spanning about 100.5 to 66 million years ago. Champsosaurus lived in North America during this interval.
Champsosaurus natator : Champsosaurus natator is a species of Champsosaurus named from Late Cretaceous fossils in North America. It is among the named species used to document the genus’s Late Cretaceous presence.
Reptile : Reptiles are amniote vertebrates that include turtles, tuatara, lizards, snakes, crocodilians, and birds. Champsosaurus was a reptile, though choristoderes fall outside the living reptile groups listed here.
Hydrodynamics : Hydrodynamics is the study of how fluids move and exert forces on objects. Its streamlined body and tapered snout reduced resistance as it moved through water.
Paleogene : The Paleogene is the geological period from about 66 to 23 million years ago, following the Cretaceous. Champsosaurus persisted into the Paleogene, beyond the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
Champsosaurus gigas : Champsosaurus gigas is a species of Champsosaurus known from the Paleocene of North America. Its Paleocene fossils exemplify the genus’s survival into the Paleogene.
Diapsid : Diapsids are amniotes ancestrally characterized by two pairs of openings in the skull behind each eye. Choristoderes belong within the broader diapsid branch of reptile evolution.
Lateral undulation : Lateral undulation is a mode of locomotion in which the body bends from side to side. Champsosaurus likely used side-to-side body and tail movements to swim.
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