Description: This is a well-articulated, complete specimen of the neodiapsid reptile Claudiosaurus germaini. Known specimens reach approximately 60 cm in overall length, so this one is at the upper end of the spectrum. This was almost certainly an aquatic reptile, one that had a lifestyle much like the modern-day marine iguana. Note the fine teeth to be seen in the skull. The skull is unusual in that there are features reminiscent of the snakes. There seems to be little holding it together due to the lack of a temporal bar and the presence of large postorbital openings. Indeed, the front of the skull seems poorly ossified. Nevertheless this one is quite well preserved. Some believe it may have belonged to the line that was ancestral to the plesiosaurs. See our other listings for another member of the Lower Sankamena fauna Barasaurus.

Both preservation and preparation are excellent. A certificate of authenticity from the preeminent source will be provided.