STL Science Center

STL Science Center

29 March 2017

Incomplete Remains

The known remains that are still attributed to Lagosuchus are comprised of a single hind leg, a few vertebrae, and a scapula. The hindleg is gracile and slender, indicating that the basal archosaur was lightly built and possibly well adapted for a running life. The vertebrae and scapula are not as indicative in the life history as the hindleg appears to be, but are important in describing the animal. These elements when analyzed together indicate that Lagosuchus was actually capable of running bipedally for short periods of time only, being a facultative biped. Quadrupedality appears to have been the most basic form of locomotion for basal archosaurs, making Lagosuchus a typical early archosaur.

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