Cryptocleidus
by Matthew M.
My animal is the cryptocleidus. It is a Sauropsid. It has a short neck, a small tail, and four flippers. It lives in the ocean. It uses its tail as a rudder, which allows it to steer through the water.
When my animal first evolved, it only had a backbone. These animals are called vertebrates. Then my animal evolved a jaw. Those animals were called Gnathostomes. Then my animal evolved four limbs. These animals were called Tetrapods. Then my animal evolved a water tight egg so they could lay their eggs on land. This group of animals was called amniotes. Next my animal developed a hole in the mouth, called a sauropsid. The advantage of this trait is still unknown.
My animal is most closely related to the crocodile, rhamphorhynchus, saurischians, and ornithischians. To get this conclusion I looked at my animal’s most advanced node to see what animals branched off of it. The most advanced trait is sauropsids which have two openings in the mouth. To find the most advanced trait, I followed the cladogram to the nearest node.
Last updated April 7, 2007.