quelôneos

Quelôneos is a genus of prehistoric marine reptiles belonging to the extinct order Thalattosauria. These marine reptiles lived during the Late Triassic period, approximately 237 to 227 million years ago. Quelôneos fossils have been found primarily in Europe, with significant discoveries in Italy and Slovenia.

The genus Quelôneos is characterized by its relatively small size, with most specimens measuring around 1 to 1.5 meters in length. They possessed a slender, elongated body and a long tail. Their limbs were adapted for swimming, suggesting they were fully marine creatures. A distinctive feature of Quelôneos is its skull, which was relatively broad and flattened, with small teeth that were likely suited for a diet of small invertebrates or fish.

Thalattosaurs, including Quelôneos, were part of a diverse group of marine reptiles that inhabited the ancient Tethys Ocean. Their evolutionary relationships are still debated among paleontologists, but they are generally considered to be distinct from other major marine reptile groups like ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs. The discovery of Quelôneos has contributed to our understanding of marine reptile evolution during the Triassic, a critical period for the diversification of life in the oceans following the Permian-Triassic extinction event. The specific ecological role of Quelôneos within its marine environment is inferred to be that of a small predator or scavenger.