Karaurus

Kah-row-rus.
By Claire Morris
Published on

Claire Morris

Marine Paleontologist

Claire Morris has dedicated her career to exploring the depths of prehistoric oceans. Her fascination with ancient marine life has led her to discover significant fossils that illuminate the evolution of early sea creatures.

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Morris, C. (2016, June 29). Karaurus. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/karaurus/

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Name

Karaurus ‭(‬head tail‭)‬.

Phonetic

Kah-row-rus.

Named By

M.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Ivachnenko‭ ‬-‭ ‬1978.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Amphibia,‭ ‬Caudata,‭ ‬Karauridae.

Diet

Insectivore.

Species

K.‭ ‬sharovi‭

Size

About‭ ‬20‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

‭Russian Federation.

Time Period

Kimmeridgian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Complete individual.

In Depth

       Karaurus has been hailed as one of the earliest known true salamanders to appear.‭ ‬This is based upon the striking similarity of the Karaurus holotype to modern forms,‭ ‬and it is quite likely that Karaurus lived in a similar manner hunting for small invertebrates in the water.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Urodelans from the Triassic and Jurassic of Soviet Central Asia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Paleontological Journal,‭ ‬vol‭ ‬12,‭ ‬no‭ ‬3,‭ ‬p362-368.‭ ‬-‭ ‬M.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Ivachnenko‭ ‬-‭ ‬1978.

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