Ceteosaur

/ˌsiːtiːoʊˈsɔːr/ noun

Definition

An extinct marine reptile from the Mesozoic era that resembled whales, though it was not actually related to modern whales.

Etymology

From Latin 'cetus' (whale) + Greek 'sauros' (lizard). The name describes the whale-like appearance of these ancient sea creatures.

Kelly Says

Ceteosaurs are a perfect example of convergent evolution—they looked remarkably similar to whales but evolved from completely different ancestors millions of years earlier, showing how nature solves the problem of swimming the same way repeatedly.

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