Reptile · GBIF taxon 8471977
Longisquama insignis
Longisquama insignisLongisquama was a tiny arboreal reptile that darted through the lake-edge forests of Triassic Central Asia over 230 million years ago. It is famous for a dramatic row of tall, hockey-stick-shaped integumentary appendages rising from its spine, which served primarily as vibrant socio-sexual display structures. Slender limbs and sharp conical teeth suggest an agile climber adept at gleaning insects from tree trunks and branches.
FossilPrehistoric
Licensed referenceGhedoghedo / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Early beetles
- Cockroach ancestors
- Small arachnids
Predators
- Carnivorous archosaurs
- Temnospondyl amphibians
- Early crocodylomorphs
ThreatsCarnivorous archosauromorphs and mid-Triassic climatic shifts
HabitatsTriassic lacustrine shores, riparian forests, and lush floodplains
Life spanEstimated 3–8 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyLagosuchidae
- GenusLongisquama
- SpeciesLongisquama insignis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct prehistoric species known exclusively from fossil impressions.
Responsible observation
- Fossil study: Examine high-resolution casts or scans to see the hollow dorsal vanes.
- Paleoart review: Compare evolving display models against older gliding hypotheses.
Ecological Neighbor Ghedoghedo / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
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