Mesosaurus (SciiFii)

Mesosaurus luda (name meaning "play middle lizard") is a species of reptile that originally lived from the Early Permian of southern Africa and South America as an extinct species, Mesosaurus tenuidens, and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and is now displayed in Paleozoic Park located in Downey, California. It is usually considered to be a anapsid, although it is sometimes considered to be a synapsid, and this hypothesis has been revived recently. Mesosaurus luda is one of the first marine reptiles, although it also inhabits a hypersaline water body, not just a typical marine environment. In any case, it has many adaptations to a fully aquatic lifestyle. Mesosaurus luda has a long skull and long, sharp, needle-like teeth. The teeth are angled outwards, especially those at the tips of the jaws. Mesosaurus luda is a piscivore and its teeth are suitable for catching small nektonic prey such as crustaceans. Mesosaurus luda is unusual among reptiles in that it possesses a cleithrum. A cleithrum is a type of dermal bone that overlies the scapula, and is usually found in more primitive bony fish and tetrapods. It is around 1 metre (3.3 feet) in length, with webbed feet, a streamlined body, and a long tail that supports a fin. It propels itself through the water with its long hind legs and flexible tail. Its body is also flexible and can easily move sideways, but it has heavily thickened ribs, which prevents it from twisting its body.