Telmatosaurus

TelmatosaurusMarsh Lizard
Classification
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Subphylum	Vertebrata
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Clade	Sauropsida
Class	Reptilia
Clade	Archosauria Avemetatarsalia Ornithodira Dinosauria Ornithischia Cerapoda Ornithopoda Iguanodontia Ankylopollexia Hadrosauriformes
Superfamily	Hadrosauroidea
Clade	Hadrosauromorpha
Species	Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus
Presence
Location	Hațeg Island, Romania
Temporal Range	70 - 66 million years ago, Maastrichtian Stage, Late Cretaceous Period
Episodes	Forests (Segment 7)
Characteristics
Height	1.5 meters (5 feet)
Length	5 meters (16 feet)
Mass	600 kilograms (1,323 pounds)
Diet	Herbivorous
Exhibits insular dwarfism

Telmatosaurus (Marsh Lizard) is a genus of non-hadrosaurid hadrosauromorph dinosaur that lived in Hațeg Island, an area which would eventually become a basin within modern-day Romania, 66 million years ago, during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period.

Paleobiology

Size and Physique

Too primitive to even be considered a proper hadrosaurid, Telmatosaurus was a small animal, 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall, 5 meters (16 feet) long, and weighed 600 kilograms (1,323 pounds). It is believed that it was reduced to a diminutive stature due to living on an island.

Paleoecology

Paleoenvironment

Main: Hațeg Island

Main: Hațeg Island

During the time of Telmatosaurus, 70 - 66 million years ago, most of Europe was a series of islands scattered across the prehistoric Tethys Ocean. Hațeg Island, which would one day become a town in Hunedoara County, Romania, was 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the nearest landmass, and is estimated to be 80,000 square kilometers (31,000 square miles) worth of tropical woodland, sustained by braided rivers, lakes, and seasonal monsoons.

Due to limited resources on the island, most of the inhabitants grew smaller due to an evolutionary process known as insular dwarfism.

Cautious and Social Behavior

A herd of Telmatosaurus visiting the beach of Hațeg Island

“ Telmatosaurus seldom breaks cover. And equally inconspicuous, Zalmoxes, the last of a very ancient dinosaur lineage. This forest is one of their few remaining strongholds. Seven inches tall, baby Zalmoxes are no more than snacks for many predators... but snacks are nonetheless worth eating, so they have to be cautious. ”

― David Attenborough, Forests

Due to the ominous threat of Hatzegopteryx, most of the small animals of Hațeg Island keep a low profile to avoid being noticed. For this reason, Telmatosaurus keeps itself mostly hidden in the thick undergrowth of the forest. As was shown just shortly after it passed by, those out in the open, like baby Zalmoxes, are more likely to get caught by the island's apex predator.

As with most hadrosauromorphs, Telmatosaurus is depicted as a herding animal, with a small group of them shown visiting the beach of Hațeg Island to eat the plants coated in sea spray, making them a good source of salt, with one even licking up a salt-coated log propped up on the beach.

Appearance

“ Even by day, it's still dark in the understory of the dense forests, such as this one in Europe. Animals of any kind are difficult to distinguish. Yet, they're everywhere. ”

― David Attenborough, Forests

The seventh, final segment of Forests takes place in the dark understory of a forest in Europe. As a Telmatosaurus keeps a low profile amongst the lush vegetation, five juvenile Zalmoxes warily look around, as they are about to cross a log over the river, out in a more open area of the forest. As they rush down a log, the last one to cross is suddenly snatched up and swallowed alive by a Hatzegopteryx. Gulping his snack down, the majestic pterosaur slowly weaves through the forest, at one point stopping by to check out one moss-covered tree before continuing his casual but regal walk, eventually making it to the beach, where he spreads his large wings, flapping them to keep them warmed up before picking at them, grooming himself.

“ Many of the forest's permanent residents regularly come down here, because the plants are coated with sea spray, and are a welcome source of salt. Here, sauropods can meet one another, renewing family bonds, and creating new ones. But for Hatzegopteryx, the beach is a launching pad. Now, his wings will carry him to yet another forest where life proliferates more variously and more abundantly than anywhere else on our Prehistoric Planet. ”

― David Attenborough, Forests

Some Zalmoxes are seen amongst the foliage, looking around as Telmatosauruses feed on the salted vegetation, with one even licking a propped-up piece of wood on the beach. Two titanosaurs make their way down to the beach, affectionately rubbing their heads and necks against one another. And as the sun sets, Hatzegopteryx spreads his wings once more and finally leaves the island, flying off into the horizon.