Icarosaurus on a log
Icarosaurus (meaning "Icarus lizard") was an extinct genus of kuehneosaurid reptile from the Late Triassic in New Jersey and New York, dated to around 228 million years ago. It is closely related to lizards and the tuatara. Based on a partial skeleton missing part of the tail, some ribs, a hand, and parts of the legs, it was a small animal, about 10 centimeters (4 in) long from the skull to the hips. Like its relative Kuehneosaurus, it was able to glide short distances using 'wings' consisting of highly elongated ribs covered with skin, with the upper surface convex and the lower surface concave, thus creating a simple airfoil structure well-suited to gliding. This method of gliding is also seen in Coelurosauravus and the modern Draco, neither of which are closely related to Icarosaurus.
In When Dinosaurs Roamed America[]
We only see it in one scene in the late Triassic segment. A Coelophysis finds an Icarosaurus on top of a fallen tree. The Coelophysis leaps at it but the Icarosaurus glides away using its elongated ribs. The Coelophysis fails to catch it and leaves the scene.
Errors[]
- The narrator said Icarosaurus is the first reptile that learned how to glide, but this is not the case (this record is held by Coelurosauravus).