What is the Sauropterygia?
Q: What is the Sauropterygia?
A: The Sauropterygia is a superorder of successful aquatic reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic era.
Q: What unites Sauropterygia?
A: Sauropterygia is united by an adaptation of their shoulder designed to support powerful paddle strokes.
Q: What was the Mesozoic era?
A: The Mesozoic era was a geological period that started about 252 million years ago and ended approximately 66 million years ago.
Q: Did the Sauropterygia adapt to life on land or in water?
A: The Sauropterygia adapted to life in water.
Q: What were some later sauropterygians like?
A: Some later sauropterygians, like the pliosaurs, developed a similar mechanism in their pelvis.
Q: What is the function of the adaptation of the shoulder in the Sauropterygia?
A: The adaptation of the shoulder in the Sauropterygia is designed to support powerful paddle strokes.
Q: What is the significance of the Sauropterygia in the evolution of aquatic reptiles?
A: The Sauropterygia is significant in the evolution of aquatic reptiles as it was a superorder of successful aquatic reptiles that developed adaptations for life in water.
