- this
group consist of
small semiaquatic forms with
terrestrial limbs ("
plesiopedal"),
while laters members include larger fully aquatic paddle-limbed ("hydropedal")...
-
ancestor with
functional legs (
plesiopedal). However, this was
shaken with the
discovery of Dallasaurus, a
plesiopedal mosasauroid more
closely related...
- were found.
Polcyn and Bell
diagnose Dallasaurus as follows: "Small,
plesiopedal mosasauroid possessing the
following autapomorphies:
posterior maxillary...
-
mosasaur clades, such as the Tethysaurinae. The term "
plesiopedal mosasaurs" or "mosasaurs with a
plesiopedal limb condition" is a more
formal way to
refer to...
-
terms "hydropedal" and "
plesiopedal"
refers to
varying limb
conditions and
varying degrees of
adaptations for
marine life.
Plesiopedal mosasaurs, such as Dallasaurus...
- yaguarasaurines. Like the
closely related tethysaurines, all
yaguarasaurines were
plesiopedal (meaning
primitive and not as well
adapted to
marine life as
later mosasaurs)...
- Litomyšl. Like the
closely related yaguarasaurines, all
tethysaurines were
plesiopedal (meaning
primitive and not as well
adapted to
marine life as
later mosasaurs)...
- differentiated,
meaning that
while better adapted to life in
oceans than
plesiopedal mosasaur genera like
Dallasaurus and Tethysaurus, they were poor swimmers...
