Tupilakosauridae

Tupilakosauridae
Temporal range: Early Permian - Early Triassic, 273–245 Ma
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Temnospondyli
Suborder: Dvinosauria
Family: Tupilakosauridae
Kuhn, 1960
Genera

Tupilakosauridae is an extinct family of dvinosaurian temnospondyls. It contains the genera Slaugenhopia, Thabanchuia, Tupilakosaurus, and possibly Kourerpeton.[1] Tupilakosaurs are known from Texas, Greenland, Russia, and France.[1][2] The earliest tupilakosaur, Slaugenhopia, is Early Permian in age while the latest known tupilakosaurs are Early Triassic in age. Derived tupilakosaurs possess embolomerous centra in their vertebrae, which are diplospondylous.[2] They also have a deep notch in the pterygoid bone of the palate.[1] Tupilakosaurs were aquatic, and used an undulatory mode of swimming much like that of eels.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Milner, A. R.; Sequeira, S. E. K. (2004). "Slaugenhopia texensis (Amphibia: Temnospondyli) from the Permian of Texas is a primitive tupilakosaurid". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 24 (2): 320–325. doi:10.1671/1974.
  2. 1 2 3 Werneburg, R.; Steyer, J. S.; Sommer, G.; Gand, G.; Schneider, J. W.; Vianey-Liaud, M. (2007). "The earliest tupilakosaurid amphibian with diplospondylous vertebrae from the Late Permian of southern France". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (1): 26–30. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[26:TETAWD]2.0.CO;2.


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