#sauropsid

My take on a cute skekling that's supposed to look like a Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild rito avian style appearance. Inspired by the rito from breath of the wild. This skekling's name is SkekHolli I thought it would be cute to have a Holly jolly happy skekling that likes to fly.

I like to believe that skeksis and urru or urskeks form would have realistically evolved from bird-like reptiles or dragons and looked similar to cockatrice called Volacrosaurs or Dracoaves or vulturelizards. So I had this idea that skeksis had inherited their hollow bones and air sacs from their ancestors as vulturelizards that even the flightless skeksis can glide or fly only while using a glider or wing equipment that they attach to their arms while the skeksis with wings can just fly naturally and also skeksis lay eggs they are oviparous.

CAYPULLISAURUS BONAPARTEI

REPTIL ESPIRITÚ DEL MAR (MAPUNDUNGUN) EN HONOR A BONAPARTE

Es un ictiosaurio de tamaño medio que vivió durante el final del periodo Jurásico, llegando a alcanzar el Cretácico inferior de Argentina.

Su esqueleto fue recolectado en la Formación Vaca Muerta en Neuquén. Esta región de la Patagonia formaba lo que se conoce como cuenca neuquina, ya que antes de la formación de los Andes, una lengua del mar Pacífico ingresaba en lo que hoy es Neuquén y Mendoza.

Como los demás ictiosaurios, su silueta recuerda a la de un delfín, pero con la cola orientada verticalmente, como los tiburones. El hocico terminaba en punta, con mandíbulas pobladas de dientes para atrapar a sus presas. Los ojos grandes y reforzados les permitían ver en la profundidad.

La aleta en el lomo, similar a las de los delfines les ayudaría con la maniobras.

Aquí se lo ve cazando un molusco con caparazón.

HABITÓ: Cuenca neuquina

HACE: 148 a 140 millones de años (Jurásico/Cretácico)

ES UN: Saurópsido, Ictiosáurido

MEDÍA: 3,5 m de largo

PESABA: 300 Kg

A long, long time ago, back in the Carboniferous, one species of little amniotes was split in two. As their paths diverged, one group’s descendants became the sauropsids - such as reptiles, birds, and other dinosaurs - and the other group’s descendants became the synapsids - such as therapsids, cynodonts, and mammals. As the millions of years stretched on, our two clades have shared the same planet and lived alongside each other as each evolved into ever new and fascinating forms.

(in every panel, there’s a sauropsid on the left and a synapsid on the right)

-In the Permian, a Titanophoneus looks up in wonder as a Weigeltisaurus glides overhead.

-In the Triassic, a Coelophysis and a Kataigidodon cautiously share a bite of a large piece of carrion they both found.

-In the Jurassic, a Maiopatagium glides around a feeding Mamenchisaurus, hunting the insects attracted by the huge sauropod.

-In the Cretaceous, a Didelphodon captures a young Bambiraptor.

-In the Paleogene, a Picavus rests for a moment on the head of a Paraceratherium.

-In the Neogene, a Titanis hunts a Cormohipparion.

The lysorophians were a group of Carboniferous and Permian tetrapods with highly elongated bodies and tiny limbs, usually thought to be part of the lepospondyl amphibians – but some recent studies have instead placed them and some of their close relatives as possibly being very early members of the reptile branch of amniotes.

Brachydectes newberryi here is one of the best-known lysorophians, represented by a good amount of fossil material compared to many of its relatives. Living in the Midwestern United States during the late Carboniferous and early Permian, around 310-290 million years ago, it had a proportionally tiny head and reached lengths of around 60-70cm (2'-2'4").

Its wide shovel-shaped snout and thickened reinforced bones around its braincase suggest it was adapted for headfirst digging, and some specimens have actually been found preserved inside their burrows. The roof of its skull also developed extensive "sculpturing" as individuals aged, with juveniles having smooth bone surfaces and larger adults having a distinct rough bumpy texture.

So I've depicted it here with a speculative keratinous "head shield".

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