Mesosaurus

Mesosaurus was a small, freshwater reptile that lived about 280 million years ago during the Permian period. It had a long, slender body with a tail and paddle-like limbs, similar to modern-day aquatic animals. Mesosaurus is important to scientists because its fossils are found on both South America and Africa, suggesting these continents were once connected. This evidence supports the theory of continental drift, indicating Earth's landmasses have shifted over time. Though it was a freshwater creature, its widespread fossils help create a picture of ancient supercontinents and the history of Earth's changing surface.