Megalancosaurus (continued)
The skull of the holotype
Megalancosaurus has a triangular skull, enlarged post-orbital region and long and narrow snout, the nares anteroposteriorly expanded; and the lower jaw is slightly bent ventrally in its anterior portion, the 8 elongate cervical vertebrae have low neural spines, buffer-like prezygapophyses and posterior hypapophyses; enigmatic "supraneural" bones contact the expanded neural spines of the third dorsal vertebra. The haemal spines of the caudal vertebrae are ventrally expanded bearing an oval fenestration; The neural spines of dorsal vertebrae 2-3 are anteroposteriorly enlarged and fused together while the neural spines of the caudal vertebrae aredistally expanded anteroposteriorly, assuming a distinct "T" shape; the posterior ribs are fused with corresponding vertebrae there are opposable digits in the anterior limb, and an opposable hallux in the pes (at least in some specimens).
The modified allux of specimen MBSN 25
The hands of specimen MPUM 6008 . The first three digits are opposed to the other two.
Next page on Megalancosaurus
Home Research Triassic Reptiles