Aggiosaurus is an extinct group of reptiles that lived during the Late Jurassic period, around 160 to 157 million years ago. This creature was found in Nice, a city in southeastern France, and is part of a family known as Metriorhynchidae, which are related to modern crocodiles.
Aggiosaurus includes only one species named Aggiosaurus nicaeensis. This name was given in 1913 by a scientist named H. Ambayrac. The name “Aggiosaurus” comes from the location where it was discovered, Cap d’Aggio-La Turbie, along with the Greek word for lizard, “sauros.” The specific name “nicaeensis” honors the city of Nice.
The only known fossil of Aggiosaurus is a poorly preserved upper jaw that was found in 1912. This fossil is now kept in the natural history museum in Nice. At first, it was thought to be a type of dinosaur, but later studies showed that it was actually closer to a family of marine reptiles.
The unique feature of Aggiosaurus is its teeth. These teeth were very large compared to other related species, making them notable. Because of this, some scientists have debated whether Aggiosaurus should be considered a separate species or if it is a version of another group called Dakosaurus.
Even though Aggiosaurus is not well-known and its remains are not in great shape, it remains an important part of our understanding of the diverse group of reptiles that once roamed the Earth.