teodoliidilla

Teodoliidilla is a genus of extinct marine reptiles belonging to the order Plesiosauria. These long-necked marine predators lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 85 to 75 million years ago. The name "Teodoliidilla" is derived from the Greek words "theodolite," referring to a surveying instrument, and "idilla," meaning little. This naming reflects the initially fragmentary nature of the fossil discoveries and the researchers' efforts to accurately place them within the plesiosaur lineage.

Fossils of Teodoliidilla have been found in various locations, primarily in Europe and North America. Like other plesiosaurs, Teodoliidilla possessed a serpentine neck, a broad body, and four paddle-like limbs adapted for swimming. Their diet likely consisted of fish, squid, and other marine invertebrates. While specific details about their anatomy are still being studied, Teodoliidilla shares many characteristics with other derived pliosaurids and rhomaleosaurids, placing them within the broader plesiosaur evolutionary tree. The genus represents an important piece in understanding the diversity and evolution of marine reptiles during the Mesozoic Era.