FOSSILS IN A WALL OF CEHEGÍN

A 200 MILLION YEAR OLD REPTILE WAS FOUND IN CEHEGIN

The fossils of a reptile were found In a wall near “El Puente Santo” of Cehegín in 2017. The animal was classified as a 30 centimetre marine reptile.  It is more than 200 million years old (230-250 million years ago) (Triasic- Munschescal). The fossils can be visited in the archaeological museum of Cehegín

The rocks are limestone. These rocks were generated by sediments deposited in a marine platform. The fossils consist of vertebrae and ribs - which are clearly seen in the rock.

Scientists say that the species could be a Nothosuarus.  Nothosaurus was a semi-oceanic animal which probably had similar behaviour to that of today's seals. 

It was about 3 metres long, with long webbed toes and possibly a fin on it’s tail. The hind limbs were stronger than the front limbs. To fish, the Nothosaurus used to stand on the rocks and when it saw a fish, it would jump at great speed and catch it with its teeth, but then it had to go ashore to recover and eat.

     

Nothosaurus taxonomy
kingdom:	Animalia
phylum:	Chordata
class:	Reptilia
superorder:	†Sauropterygia
order:	†Nothosauroidea
family:	†Nothosauria
Genus:	†Nothosaurus