Description
Champsosaurus Reptile
- Extinct Semi-Aquatic Reptile also known as Crocodile-Like
- Cretaceous Age
- Hell Creek Formation
- Harding County, South Dakota
- This exceptionally well-preserved vertebra measures 1.10 inches wide and comes with an identification label. Additionally, its authenticity is fully guaranteed, giving you confidence in its provenance and quality.
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Champsosaurus is an extinct genus of diapsid reptile belonging to the order Choristodera. Champsosaurus was first described from Late Cretaceous strata of Montana by Cope in 1876. Champsosaurs resembled modern gharials (gavials) or false gharials.
The skulls of these animals feature long, narrow snouts lined with small, sharp, conical teeth. This is because champsosaurs and modern gharials occupied similar ecological niches, both hunting small aquatic prey in rivers and swamps.
As a result, they independently evolved nearly identical skull shapes, making this a classic example of convergent evolution. In contrast, more primitive choristoderes possessed shorter, broader snouts, reflecting different feeding adaptations.
