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Alligator
An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus ''Alligator'' of the Family (biology), family Alligatoridae in the Order (biology), order Crocodilia. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additionally, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains. Alligators first appeared during the late Eocene epoch about 37 million years ago. The term "alligator" is likely an Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicized form of ', Spanish language, Spanish for "the lizard", which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator. Early English language, English spellings of the name included ''allagarta'' and ''alagarto''. Evolution Alligators and caimans split in North America during the early Tertiary period, Tertiary or late Cretaceous (about 53 million to 65 million years ago). The Chinese alligator split from the America ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alligator Sinensis
The Chinese alligator (; ), also known as the Yangtze alligator (), China alligator, or historically the muddy dragon, is a crocodilian endemic to China. It and the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') are the only living species in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. Dark gray or black in color with a fully armored body, the Chinese alligator grows to in length and weighs as an adult. It brumates in burrows in winter and is nocturnal in summer. Mating occurs in early summer, with females most commonly producing 20–30 eggs, which are smaller than those of any other crocodilian. The species is an opportunistic feeder, primarily eating fish and invertebrates. A vocal species, adults bellow during the mating season and young vocalize to communicate with their parents and other juveniles. Captive specimens have reached age 70, and wild specimens can live past 50. Living in bodies of fresh water, the Chinese alligator's range is restricted to six region ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Alligator
The Chinese alligator (; ), also known as the Yangtze alligator (), China alligator, or historically the muddy dragon, is a crocodilian endemic to China. It and the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') are the only living species in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. Dark gray or black in color with a fully armored body, the Chinese alligator grows to in length and weighs as an adult. It brumates in burrows in winter and is nocturnal in summer. Mating occurs in early summer, with females most commonly producing 20–30 eggs, which are smaller than those of any other crocodilian. The species is an opportunistic feeder, primarily eating fish and invertebrates. A vocal species, adults bellow during the mating season and young vocalize to communicate with their parents and other juveniles. Captive specimens have reached age 70, and wild specimens can live past 50. Living in bodies of fresh water, the Chinese alligator's range is restricted to six regions ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alligator Luicus
An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae in the order Crocodilia. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additionally, several extinct species of alligator are known from fossil remains. Alligators first appeared during the late Eocene epoch about 37 million years ago. The term "alligator" is likely an anglicized form of ', Spanish for "the lizard", which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator. Early English spellings of the name included ''allagarta'' and ''alagarto''. Evolution Alligators and caimans split in North America during the early Tertiary or late Cretaceous (about 53 million to 65 million years ago). The Chinese alligator split from the American alligator about 33 million years ago and probably descended from a lineage that crossed the Bering land bridge during th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crocodilia
Crocodilia () is an order of semiaquatic, predatory reptiles that are known as crocodilians. They first appeared during the Late Cretaceous and are the closest living relatives of birds. Crocodilians are a type of crocodylomorph pseudosuchian, a subset of archosaurs that appeared about 235 million years ago and were the only survivors of the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event. While other crocodylomorph groups further survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, notably sebecosuchians, only the crocodilians have survived into the Quaternary. The order includes the true crocodiles (family Crocodylidae), the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae), and the gharial and false gharial (family Gavialidae). Although the term "crocodiles" is sometimes used to refer to all of these families, the term "crocodilians" is less ambiguous. Extant crocodilians have flat heads with long snouts and tails that are compressed on the sides, with their eyes, ears, and n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alligatoridae
The family (biology), family Alligatoridae of crocodylians includes alligators, caimans and their extinct relatives. Phylogeny The superfamily Alligatoroidea includes all crocodilians (fossil and extant) that are more closely related to the American alligator than to either the Nile crocodile or the gharial. This is a stem-based taxon, stem-based definition for alligators, and is more inclusive than the crown group Alligatoridae. As a crown group, Alligatoridae only includes the last common ancestor of all extant taxon, extant (living) alligators, caimans, and their descendants (living or extinct), whereas Alligatoroidea, as a stem-based group, also includes more basal (phylogenetics), basal extinct alligator ancestors that are more closely related to living alligators than to crocodiles or gavialids. When considering only living taxa (neontology), Alligatoroidea and Alligatoridae contain the same species. The simplified cladogram below shows Alligatoridae's relationships to o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alligator Hailensis
''Alligator hailensis'', or Haile alligator, is a large, extinct species of ''Alligator'' known from the early Pleistocene of Florida. It is named after the town of Haile, Florida, where it was found. Its age and skeletal morphology is intermediate between the geologically older '' Alligator mefferdi'' and the modern American alligator, making it a transitional fossil.PBDB. "Alligator Hailensis Stout 2020 (Alligator)." PBDBpaleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=427868/ref> History and naming The remains of ''Alligator hailensis'' were found in the Haile 7C and 7G fossil sites, late Blancan assemblages from Alachua County, Florida, likely representing water-filled sinkholes that were covered in sediments. These fossil localities yielded a minimum of forty-three individual alligators, possibly even more, bridging the gap between species from the Pliocene and the modern American alligator. Out of these, specimen UF 224688, a complete skull with mandible and assorted postcra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alligator Munensis
''Alligator munensis'' is an extinct species of alligator from the Quaternary of Thailand. After the skull of ''A. munensis'' was discovered, it was tentatively assigned to the Chinese alligator before being recognized as a distinct species. Although the two are still considered to be close relatives, the pronounced anatomical differences suggest that the two species split from one another long prior to the Pleistocene, possibly during the uplifting of the Tibetan Plateau during the Miocene. It had a short and robust skull and may have had globular back teeth possibly corresponding to a greater amount of hard-shelled prey items. The nostrils of ''A. munensis'' were positioned much further towards the back of the skull than in other alligators, but the function of this is unknown. History and naming The only currently known skull of ''Alligator munensis'', specimen DMR-BSL2011-2, was discovered in 2005 in a layer of Quaternary alluvium in the village of Ban Si Liam, northeastern Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caimans
A caiman ( (also spelled cayman) from Taíno language, Taíno ''kaiman'') is an alligatorid belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within the Alligatoridae family (biology), family, the other being alligators. Caimans are native to Central America, Central and South America and inhabit marsh, marshes, swamps, lakes, and mangrove rivers. They have scaly skin and live a fairly nocturnal existence. They are relatively small-sized crocodilians with an average maximum weight of depending on species, with the exception of the black caiman (''Melanosuchus niger''), which can grow more than in length and weigh in excess of 450 kg (1,000 Ib). The black caiman is the largest caiman species in the world and is found in the slow-moving rivers and lakes that surround the Amazon basin. The smallest species is the Cuvier's dwarf caiman (''Paleosuchus palpebrosus''), which grows to long. There are six different species of caiman found throughout the wate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alligator Olseni
''Alligator olseni'' (common name Olsen's Alligator, named after Russel Olsen) is an extinct species of alligator. They lived in the Early Miocene period, around 20.4–15.97 million years ago and possibly earlier. Their range was principally in what is now known as Florida, United States, and possibly extending into southeastern Texas. It is a small alligator with an estimated body length of . Classification ''Alligator olseni'' is a member of the subfamily Alligatorinae, within the larger family Alligatoridae. It is closely related to the living American alligator and Chinese alligator, as shown in the cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ... below: References olseni Miocene reptiles of North America Fossil taxa described in 1942 {{paleo-ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Straits of Florida to the south, and The Bahamas to the southeast. About two-thirds of Florida occupies a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It has the List of U.S. states by coastline, longest coastline in the contiguous United States, spanning approximately , not including its many barrier islands. It is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of over 23 million, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by population, third-most populous state in the United States and ranks List of states and territories of the United States by population density, seventh in population density as of 2020. Florida spans , ranking List of U.S. states ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alligator Mcgrewi
''Alligator mcgrewi'' is an extinct species of alligator described by K.P. Schmidt in 1941. They lived in the Early Miocene period, and their range was principally in what is now Nebraska, United States. It is a small alligator with an estimated body length of . ''A. mcgrewi'' has a unique snout, distinguishing it from other alligator species and implying that it evolved from specific environmental adaptations. Classification ''Alligator mcgrewi'' is a member of the subfamily Alligatorinae, within the larger family Alligatoridae. It is related to the living American alligator and Chinese alligator, as shown in the cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ... below: References mcgrewi Miocene reptiles of North America Fossil taxa described in 1941 Taxa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alligator Prenasalis
''Alligator prenasalis'' is an extinct species of alligator from the Late Eocene period. It is well known, with many fossils having been collected from the Chadron Formation, Chadron and Brule Formations in South Dakota. The species was first named in 1904, but was originally classified as a crocodile in the genus ''Crocodilus''. It was reassigned to the genus ''Alligator'' in 1918 on the basis of more complete material. It is the earliest known member of the genus ''Alligator''. Taxonomy Junior synonyms Several species of extinct Alligatorinae, alligatorines have been considered junior synonyms of ''A. prenasalis''. These include ''Caimanoidea visheri'', named by paleontologist Maurice Mehl in 1916 from fragmentary material, and ''Allognathosuchus riggsi'', named in 1931 from a single piece of a lower jaw. Both were considered synonymous with the species in 1972 by paleontologist D.W. Higgins. Mehl used two alternate spellings of ''Caimanoidea'' in his 1916 paper: ''Caimanoideu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
