Knowra Teleosauridae Teleosauridae Teleosauridae is an extinct family of long-snouted marine crocodyliforms that lived mainly during the Jurassic Period. Its members included coastal and open-water predators with body forms adapted to aquatic life.
Thalattosuchia : An extinct group of marine crocodyliforms that includes teleosaurids and metriorhynchids. Teleosauridae belongs to this broader marine crocodyliform group.
Rostrum (anatomy) : An elongated snout or beak-like front portion of an animal's head. The long rostrum is among the most recognizable teleosaurid features.
Teleosaurus : An extinct genus of long-snouted marine crocodyliforms from the Jurassic of Europe. The genus gave Teleosauridae its name and anchors its early study.
Jurassic : A geological period from about 201 to 145 million years ago, between the Triassic and Cretaceous. Most known teleosaurid diversity comes from Jurassic rocks.
Metriorhynchidae : An extinct family of marine crocodyliforms, many with paddle-like limbs and a tail fluke. Metriorhynchids were the other major thalattosuchian family and had stronger marine adaptations.
Crocodyliformes : A group of crocodile-line archosaurs that includes living crocodilians and their extinct relatives. This is the larger evolutionary group containing teleosaurids.
Conical tooth : A pointed, roughly cone-shaped tooth suited to grasping prey rather than grinding it. Teleosaurid teeth helped seize slippery prey such as fish.
Machimosaurus : A large genus of teleosaurid crocodyliforms known from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Its robust jaws and large teeth contrast with the family's more slender-snouted forms.
Mesozoic : The geological era spanning the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Teleosaurids lived during this era of major reptile diversification.
Crocodylia : The living crocodile-line group comprising crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials. Living crocodilians differ from teleosaurids in ancestry, anatomy, and predominantly freshwater ecology.
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