Coelurosauravus

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Coelurosauravus
Fossil range: Permian

Coelurosauravus jaekeli

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Subclass:	Diapsida
(unranked)	Avicephala
Family:	Coelurosauravidae
Genus:	Coelurosauravus Frey et al., 1997

Species

C. jaekeli (type)
C. elivensis

For the group of theropod dinosaurs, see Coelurosauria.

Coelurosauravus is a genus of basal diapsid reptile, with specialized wing-like structures allowing it to glide. These were rod like structures with skin stretched over them; this features is unique to this genus. The average length of the specimens was 30 cm and the body was long and flat, suitable for its gliding nature. The skull was lizard-like with a pointed snout and contained a broad back with a serrated crest, superficially resembling the crests of ceratopsian dinosaurs. It lived during the Permian period in what is now Germany and Madagascar

[edit] In popular culture

Main article: Rex (Primeval)

Primeval's Coelurosauravus, Rex

Coelurosauravus was featured strongly in the Science Fiction show Primeval. A male Coelurosauravus, later named "Rex", entered the present through a Time anomaly and, despite attempts to send it back to the Permian, quickly became a mascot for the team featured in the series. In the series, Coelurosauravus was misidentified as a dinosaur, and incorrectly shown to be capable of powered flight rather than simple gliding, and shown to be far larger than 30 cm, as it was in reality.

[edit] References

D.Lambert, D.Naish and E.Wyse 2001, Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life, p.77, Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. ISBN 0-7513-0955-9
Eberhard Frey, Hans-Dieter Sues, Wolfgang Munk (1997). Gliding Mechanism in the Late Permian Reptile Coelurosauravus. Science Vol. 275. no. 5305, pp. 1450 - 1452 DOI: 10.1126/science.275.5305.1450