Dinopedia
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Adriosaurus
070323 snake lizard 02
An artist's illustration of Adriosaurus microbrachis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
clade: Pythonomorpha
Order: Squamata
Genus: Adriosaurus
Seeley, 1881
Referred species
  • Adriosaurus microbrachis (Palci & Caldwell, 2007)
  • Adriosaurus skrbinensis (Caldwell & Palci, 2010)
  • Adriosaurus suessi (Seeley, 1881)

Adriosaurus was a genus of aquatic lizard that lived about 95 million years ago. It was snake-like and grew 10 to 12 inches. This is the first fossil record of vestigial limbs in lizards, and gives scientists a glimpse back to the time when terrestrial lizards evolved to be limbless and returned to their watery origins.

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