April
10
/ 2021
Since the first fossils of a reptile species called Tanystropheus were discovered in 1852, paleontologists have been attempting to discern how and where this unusual species lived. Tanystropheus fossils have been dated to the Middle Triassic Period, which means the species existed between 245 and 230 million years ago. The largest specimens would have measured up to 16 feet (5 meters) long, from the tip of their tails to the ends of their snouts. Fossils of various sizes have been found, which paleontologists believed were from Tanystropheus specimens of different ages and maturity levels. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"85065","attributes":{"alt":"The fossil remains of a Tanystropheus dinosaur. (Ghedoghedo / CC BY-SA 3.0)","class":"media-image","height":"216","style":"width: 610px; height: 216px;","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"610"}}]] The fossil remains of a Tanystropheus dinosaur. (Ghedoghedo / CC BY-SA
