Tanystropheus

Tanystropheus is an extinct genus of Triassic archosauromorph reptiles. Its best-known species had extraordinarily long necks built from relatively few elongated vertebrae.

Archosauromorpha: Archosauromorpha is the reptile group that includes archosaurs and several extinct relatives. Tanystropheus belongs to this broad group of early reptile lineages.
Tanystropheus hydroides: Tanystropheus hydroides is a large species of Tanystropheus known from Middle Triassic marine deposits. Its fossils preserve a long neck and anatomy associated with marine life.
Monte San Giorgio: Monte San Giorgio is a fossil-rich mountain region on the Swiss-Italian border, known for Triassic marine deposits. Its deposits preserve many important Tanystropheus fossils.
Marine reptile: A marine reptile is a reptile adapted to life in the sea, whether fully aquatic or partly coastal. Tanystropheus fossils occur in marine deposits, but its degree of aquatic dependence remains debated.
Cervical vertebra: A cervical vertebra is one of the bones forming the neck portion of a vertebral column. A small number of unusually elongated cervical vertebrae produced the genus’s signature neck.
Tanystropheus longobardicus: Tanystropheus longobardicus is a smaller species of Tanystropheus with a long neck and distinctive teeth. Its remains provide key evidence about the genus’s feeding and habitat.
Besano Formation: The Besano Formation is a Middle Triassic rock unit in Italy and Switzerland rich in marine fossils. Fossils from this formation document Tanystropheus in a marine ecosystem.
Stable isotope analysis: Stable isotope analysis measures isotope ratios in materials to investigate diet, habitat, or environmental conditions. Isotope evidence has helped distinguish habitat use among Tanystropheus species.
Triassic: The Triassic is the geologic period from about 252 to 201 million years ago. Tanystropheus lived during this period, when archosauromorphs diversified.
Neck elongation: Neck elongation is the evolutionary increase in the length of the neck relative to the body. Tanystropheus achieved extreme neck length through elongated vertebrae rather than many additional ones.

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