Dedinos

Dedinos is a genus of small, extinct marine reptiles that lived during the Late Triassic period, approximately 230 million years ago. The genus is known from a single species, Dedanos suchi, which was first described in 1999. Dedinos is one of the earliest known marine reptiles, and its discovery has provided valuable insights into the evolution of marine ecosystems during the Triassic.

Dedinos was a small reptile, with an estimated body length of about 1.5 meters. It had a streamlined body, similar to that of modern marine mammals, which suggests that it was adapted for a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Dedinos had a long, narrow snout, which is characteristic of many marine reptiles, and it is believed that it fed on small fish and other marine organisms.

The fossil remains of Dedinos have been found in the Dolomites of Italy, where they were preserved in marine sediments. The fossils include a nearly complete skull, as well as fragments of postcranial bones. The skull of Dedinos is particularly notable for its unique features, including a large, toothless rostrum and a series of small, sharp teeth in the jaws.

Dedinos is an important fossil because it provides evidence for the early evolution of marine reptiles. It is believed that Dedinos was one of the earliest marine reptiles to evolve a streamlined body and a semi-aquatic lifestyle, and it is thought to have been an ancestor of later marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. The discovery of Dedinos has therefore helped to fill in a gap in our understanding of the evolution of marine ecosystems during the Triassic.