Prehistoric Who am I? Part 1 Quiz | Sci / Tech

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. My name means "Fish roof". I was an aquatic animal belonging to a group called tetrapods. I lived in Greenland during the Famennian stage of the late Devonian period. Who am I?

Answer: Ichthyostega

Named by Gunnar Save-Soderbergh in 1932, Ichthyostega shows transitional features between fish and amphibians. It has a fish-like skull and it tail carries a swimming fin However, its legs are like those of an amphibian, evolved for swimming and pushing through aquatic plants in shallow lakes and streams.

The other animals listed were also tetrapods. Pederpes means "Peter's foot", Casineria means "Cheese bay" and Acenthostega means "Spiky roof".

2. My name means "Thick frog". I was a fish-eating amphibian. I lived in Scotland during the Visean stage of the early Carboniferous period. Who am I?

Answer: Crassigyrinus

Named by David Meredith Seares Watson in 1929, Crassigyrinus was totally aquatic. It had legs but they were too small to be used for walking. It lived in muddy swamps where its large eyes allowed it to hunt fish and smaller amphibians.

The other animals listed were also early amphibians. Ophiderpeton means "Snake amphibian", Eucitta means "True creature" and Greererpeton means "Amphibian from Greer".

3. My name means "Ear lizard". I was an amphibian of the coal swamps. I lived in Canada and eastern Europe during the Moscovian stage of the late Carboniferous period. Who am I?

Answer: Cochleosaurus

Named by Antonin Fritsch in 1885, Cochleosaurus was a medium-sized predatory amphibian, known from approximately fifty specimens. It's believed to have hunted in a similar way to modern crocodiles and the coal swamps where it lived supported a wide variety of prey such as fish and smaller amphibians.

The other animals listed were also amphibians of the coal swamps. Eogyrinus means "Dawn twister", Pholigogaster means "Scaly stomach" and Proterogyrinus means "Early twister".

4. My name means 'Forest Mouse'. I'm regarded as the earliest known reptile. I lived in Canada during the Bashkirian stage of the late Carboniferous period. Who am I?

Answer: Hylonomus

Named by John William Dawson in 1860, Hylonomus looked similar to a modern lizard and probably had the same lifestyle, hunting for insects in trees and on the forest floor. The first Hylonomus skeleton was found curled up in a fossilized tree stump.

Of the other animals listed, two (Westlothiana and Solenodonsaurus) belonged to a group called amniotes and one (Diadectes) was an amphibian. Diadectes means "Crossways biter", Solenodonsaurus means "Single tooth lizard" and Westlothiana means "From the country of Westlothian".

5. My name means 'Double stalk'. I was a small aquatic amphibian with a peculiar boomerang-shaped head. I lived in the USA throughout the entire Permian period. Who am I?

Answer: Diplocaulus

Named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1882, palaeontologists aren't entirely sure why Diplocaulus had such a peculiar-shaped head. One theory is that the shape of the head made it more difficult for any predator to swallow, while another theory suggests the head formed a hydrofoil device, allowing the animal to remain stationary on a riverbed while facing into a strong current.

The other animals listed were also aquatic amphibians. Microbrachis means "Little branch", Eryops means "Big eye" and Bageherpeton means "Crawling animal from Bage city".

6. My name means 'From Seymour'. I was a small land-living amphibian. I lived in Germany and the USA during the Artinskian and Kungurian stages of the early Permian period. Who am I?

Answer: Seymouria

Named in 1939, Seymouria was a relatively small animal. It lived during a time when the world was experiencing major environmental changes. The southern continents were in the grip of an ice age and, in addition, the continents were moving together and beginning to form the supercontinent, Pangaea. Shallow seas and coal swamps disappeared, so the coastal regions became the only places that were comfortable for life.

The other animals listed were also land-living amphibians. Platyhystrix means "Flat porcupine", Cacops means "Blind-looking" and Peltobatrachus means "Armoured amphibian".

7. My name means 'Middle lizard'. I was a small freshwater reptile. I lived in Brazil and South Africa from the Asselian stage to the Kungurian stage of the early Permian period. Who am I?

Answer: Mesosaurus

Named in 1864, Mesosaurus lived in lakes and rivers where it fed on invertebrates. It had a flattened tail and webbed feet. Like a crocodile, its eyes and nostrils were on top of its head, meaning it didn't have to leave the water to be able to see or breathe. Since it was fully aquatic, it's likely Mesosaurus only left the water to lay its eggs.

The other animals listed were land-living reptiles. Milleretta means "Miller's little one", Acleistorhinus means "Anchor nose" and Captorhinus means "Stem nose".

8. My name means 'From Elgin'. I was a small land-living reptile. I lived in Scotland and, possibly, Russia during the Changhsingian stage of the late Permian period. Who am I?

Answer: Elginia

Named in 1892, Elginia belonged to a group of reptiles called Pareiasaurs. It was among the last of this group and was also one of the smallest, measuring around two feet long. It is known from only a single skull, however, a specimen found in Russia may prove to be the tail of a juvenile.

The other animals listed were also Pareiasaurs. Eunotosaurus means "True southern lizard", Scutosaurus means "Shielded lizard" and Parieasaurus means "Helmet-cheeked lizard".

9. My name means 'Hova lizard'. I was a small aquatic reptile. I lived in Madagascar from the Changhsingian stage and of the late Permian period to the Induan stage of the early Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Hovasaurus

Named in 1926, Hovasaurus belonged to a group of reptiles called Diapsids. These animals evolved to suit all kinds of environments. Some lived on land and some were aquatic. To counteract excessive buoyancy, Hovasaurus swallowed stones. We know this because stones have been found in the stomach region of several specimens.

Of the other animals listed, one (Thadeosaurus) was a semi-aquatic reptile, one (Coelurosauravus) was a gliding reptile and one (Araeoscelis) was a land-living reptile. Thadeosaurus means "Thadeo's lizard", Araeoscelis means "Thin legs" and Coelurosauravus means "Flying hollow lizard".

10. My name means 'Two long teeth'. People like to think of me as a dinosaur, but I'm not. I lived in the USA during the Kungurian stage of the early Permian period, roughly one hundred and fifty million years BEFORE dinosaurs evolved. Who am I?

Answer: Dimetrodon

Contrary to popular belief, Dimetrodon was not a dinosaur. Named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1878, it belonged to a group of mammal-like reptiles called Pelycosaurs. Its most striking feature was the sail on its back. The sail was made from skin strected across elongated spines growing from the vertebrae. It's possible the sail was used either as a display device or to regulate body temperature.

The other animals listed were also Pelycosaurs. Sphencodon means "Wedge tooth", Varanops means "Like a monitor lizard" and Ophiacodon means "Snake tooth".

11. My name means 'Pavement lizard'. I was a herbivorous mammal-like reptile. I lived in Europe and the USA during from the Kasimovian stage of the late Carboniferous period to the Artinskian stage of the early Permian period. Who am I?

Answer: Edaphosaurus

Named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1882, Edaphosaurus was a Pelycosaur, similar to the later Dimetrodon. Besides the fact that they didn't live together, the most obvious difference between these two animals is their diet. While Dimetrodon was a predator, Edaphosaurus was a herbivore, feeding on low-growing vegetation. However, like Dimetrodon, it had a sail on its back.

Of the other animals list, one (Tetraceratops) was a Pelycosaur and two (Casea and Cotylorhynchus) belonged to a group called caseids. Tetraceratops means "Four horned face", Casea means "Cheesy" and Cotylorhynchus means "Hollow snout".

12. My name means 'From Jonkers'. I was a large omnivorous mammal-like reptile belonging to a group called therapsids. I lived in South Africa from the Roadian stage to the Capitanian stage of the middle Permian period. Who am I?

Answer: Jonkeria

Named in 1916, Jonkeria has teeth designed for eating both meat and plants. It had a long snout and short legs and is known from approximately twelve specimens.

The other animals listed are also therapsids. Anteosaurus means "Before lizards", Titanosuchus means "Gigantic crocodile" and Biarmosuchus means "Double-shouldered crocodile".

13. My name means 'Like a musk ox'. I was a herbivorous therapsid. I had small, chisel-shaped teeth for chopping tough vegetation. I lived in South Africa during the Wordian and Capitanian stages of the middle Permian period. Who am I?

Answer: Moschops

Named in 1911, Moschops was one of the largest mammal-like reptiles, growing to around five metres in length. It had a very thick skull, which it may have used in head-butting contests.

The other animals listed were also herbivorous therapsids. Estemmenosuchus means "Crowned crocodile" Styracocephalus means "Spike head" and Ulemosaurus means "Lizard from Ulema River".

14. My name means 'Like a dog'. I was a relatively small therapsid that looked like a cross between a crocodile and a sabre-toothed cat. I lived in South Africa from the Roadian stage to the Changhsingian stage of the Permian period. Who am I?

Answer: Lycaenops

Named by Edwin Colbert in 1948, Lycaenops was a carnivore. It had very few teeth at the back of the mouth, but at the front were very long, serrated canines. It likely fed on lizards and cynodonts, which were among the most common mammal-like reptiles.

The other animals listed were also carnivorous therapsids. Hipposaurus means "Horse lizard", Theriognathus means "Mammal jaw" and Phthinosuchus means "Withered crocodile".

15. My name means 'Two weasel teeth'. I was a tiny omnivorous mammal-like reptile. I lived in South Africa during the Changhsingian stage of the late Permian period. Who am I?

Answer: Diictodon

Named by Sir Richard Owen in 1876, the snout barrel-shaped body and thick stubby legs of Diictodon show that it was a burrowing animal. Its diet may have included insects and vegetation.

The other animals list were also mammal-like reptiles. Cistecephalus means "Box head", Dicynodon means "Two dog teeth" and Procynosuchus means "Before dog crocodile".

16. My name means 'Plated chest'. I was a relatively small, very flat-bodied amphibian. I lived in Greenland, Sweden and Germany during the Norian stage of the late Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Gerrothorax

Named in 1937, Gerrothorax was a lake-dwelling amphibian, feeding on fish and invertebrates. Its most remarkable feature are its three pairs of external gills, similar to the gills found on a type of modern amphibian, the Axolotl.

The other animals listed were also amphibians. Mastodonsaurus means "Nipple-toothed lizard", Metoposaurus means "Front lizard" and Pelorocephalus means "Monstrous head".

17. My name means 'High jaw'. I was a tiny land-living reptile. I lived in the USA during from the Norian stage to the Rhaetian stage of the late Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Hypsognathus

Named by Charles Whitney Gilmore in 1928, Hypsognathus was a primitive lizard. It ate insects, but also fed on vegetation. The small nipping teeth at the front of the mouth suggest it was very selective feeder.

Of the other animals listed, two (Colubrifer and Procolophon) were lizards and one (Proganochelys) was a tortoise. Proganochelys means "Early shell", Procolophon means "Before the end" and Colubrifer means "Snake-like".

18. My name means 'Flat toothed'. I was a medium-sized marine reptile. I lived in Germany and Italy during the Anisian and Ladinian stages of the middle Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Placodus

Named by Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz in 1833, Placodus belonged to a peculiar group of marine reptile called placodonts. Its flat, spoon-shaped teeth allowed it to crush shellfish.

The other animals listed were also placodonts. Paraplacodus means "Almost Placodus", Henodus means "Armoured" and Psephoderma means "Pebbly skin."

19. My name means "False lizard". I was a medium-sized marine reptile. I lived in Europe, North Africa, Russia and China during the Anisian and Ladinian stages of the middle Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Nothosaurus

Named in 1834, Nothosaurus lived in shallow inshore waters, where it fed mostly on fish. Palaeontologists still aren't sure how this animal reproduced. It may have come onto land to lay eggs on the beaches like modern turtles or it may have given birth at sea.

The other animals listed were also primitive marine reptiles. Ceresiosaurus means "Lizard of Ceres", Pachypleurosaurus means "Thick rib lizard" and Lariosaurus means "Lizard from Lake Lario".

20. My name means "Liquid lizard". I was a primitive medium-sized plesiosaur. I lived in Southern Germany during the Ladinian stage of the middle Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Pistosaurus

Named by Herman von Meyer in 1839, Pistosaurus was a transitional animal, halfway between the nothosaurs and the true plesiosaurs. The swimming action of this animal is unknown. Palaeontologists are debating about whether it swam like a crocodile or like a turtle.

Of the other animals listed, one (Thalassiodracon) was a primitive plesiosaur, one (Corosaurus) was a nothosaur and one (Dactylosaurus) was a pachypleurosaur. Corosaurus means "North-west wind lizard", Thalassiodracon means "Ocean dragon" and Dactylosaurus means "Finger lizard".

21. My name means "Lizard from the Shoshone Mountains". I was a large marine reptile. I lived in Canada and the USA during the Norian stage of the late Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Shonisaurus

Named by Charles Camp in 1976, Shonisaurus is the largest known member of a group of marine reptiles called ichthyosaurs. Many of these animals had a very distinct dolphin-like appearance. We know that ichthyosaurs gave birth to live young because we have fossils of females that died while giving birth.

The other animals listed were also ichthyosaurs. Utatsusaurus means "Lizard from Utatsugyoryu in Japan", Mixosaurus means "Mixed lizard" and Cymbospondylus means "Boat spine".

22. My name means "Barracuda lizard". I was a small marine reptile. I lived in China during Anisian stage of the middle Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Barracudasaurus

Barracudasaurus was a relatively small ichthyosaur. It was first named Mixosaurus maotaiensis in 1965, but a more complete skeleton discovered in 2005 showed it to be a new species. It lived in the shallow seas that covered China in middle Triassic times, likely feeding on fish and squid.

The other animals listed were also ichthyosaurs. Besanosaurus means "Lizard from Besano", Grippia means "Anchor" and Omphalosaurus means "Button lizard".

23. My name means "Sickle lizard". I was a tiny reptile that belonged to a group called diapsids. I'm sometimes called a monkey lizard because I was a tree-dweller. I lived in Italy during the Norian stage of the late Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Drepanosaurus

Named by Giovanni Pinna in 1979, Drepanosaurus used its prehensile tail in the same way a monkey does: to hold onto tree branches. It had a huge claw on each hand which it may have used to rip bark off trees in its hunt for insects.

The other animals listed were also diapsids. Macrocnemus means "Big tibia", Cosesaurus means "Cose lizard" and Megalancosaurus means "Big forelimb lizard".

24. I'm named after a mythological person. I was a tiny gliding lizard. I lived in the USA during the Carnian stage of the late Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Icarosaurus

In Greek mythology, Daedalus and his son, Icarus, tried to fly using manufactured wings held together with wax. Unfortunately, Icarus flew too close to the sun and the heat made the wax melt. Icarus fell into the sea and drowned. The wings of Icarosaurus ("Icarus's lizard") were made of skin stretched over extensions of the ribs.

The other animals listed were also gliding reptiles. Kuehneosaurus means "Kuehne's lizard", Longisquama means "Long scales" and Hypuronector means "Deep-tailed swimmer" as it was once thought to be a marine reptile.

25. My name means "Lizard without a stick". I was a medium-sized marine reptile belonging to a group called thalattosaurs. I lived in Switzerland during the Ladinian stage of the middle Triassic period. Who am I?

Answer: Askeptosaurus

Named by Baron Franz Nopsca von Felso-Szilvas in 1925, Askeptosaurus had a long eel-like body. It swam by moving its body from side to side, steering with its short legs.

The other animals listed were also thalattosaurs. Anshunsaurus means "Lizard from Anshun", Endennasaurus means "Lizard from Endenna" and Xinpusaurus means "Lizard from Xinpu".

Source: Author ElusiveDream

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Prehistoric Who am I? Part 1 Trivia Quiz

Use the clues provided to correctly identify these twenty-five prehistoric creatures from the Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian and Triassic periods.

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