Clarazia schinzi (Peyer 1936) Late Triassic ~210 mya,~.75 m in length is a very large thalattosauriform derived from a sister to Endennasaurus. Thalattosaurus was a sister. These represent the last taxa in this lineage.
Distinct from Endennasaurus, but converging on Miodentosaurus, the skull of Clarazia was short-snouted with a set ofshort teeth and a kinked jawline. The posterior process of the jugal was shorter. The palatines and ectopterygoids were more widely separated. The mandible included a high sharp coronoid process.
The cervicals were shorter and the neural spines did not rise at the base of the tail.
The scapula was shorter and more strap-like. The limbs were shorter. Reversing a trend, digit 4 was the longest and the digits were slonder. The hand was longer than the radius and ulna.
The ilium was shorter and more upright. The hindlimb was shorter with a pes much longer than the tibia and fibula.
A family tree of the Enaliosauria is here. A more complete tree of the Reptilia is here. |
