coccostean

/kɒksɒstiːn/

Definitions

1. noun

A type of extinct lizard that lived during the Cretaceous period and was characterized by a crocodile-like body and a long, pointed snout.

“Fossil evidence suggests that coccosteans were among the first large carnivorous reptiles to inhabit what is now North America during the Cretaceous period.”

Synonyms

  • coccosteid
  • coccosteidae