Parahenodus

Pah-rah-hen-o-dus.
Published on

Emily Green

Paleobotanist

Emily Green brings the ancient world of plants to life through her insightful research and engaging writing. Her expertise lies in examining how prehistoric vegetation influenced climate patterns and animal evolution.

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Parahenodus ‭(‬near Henodus‭)‬.

Phonetic

Pah-rah-hen-o-dus.

Named By

C.‭ ‬Miguel Chaves,‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Ortega‭ & ‬A.‭ ‬Perez-Garcia‭ ‬-‭ ‬2018.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Sauropterygia,‭ ‬Placodontia,‭ ‬Henodontidae.

Diet

Durophagovore‭ (‬shellfish eater‭)‬.

Species

P.‭ ‬atancensis‭

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

Spain‭ ‬-‭ ‬Keuper Formation.

Time Period

Carnian-Norian of the Triassic.

Fossil representation

Skull.

In Depth

       Parahenodus is a genus of placodont that lived in European waters during‭ ‬the late Triassic.‭ ‬The placodonts were marine reptiles that hunted for shellfish.‭ ‬The holotype skull of Parahenodus is very similar to the Henodus genus,‭ ‬hence the name Parahenodus which‭ ‬means‭ ‘‬near Henodus‭’‬.‭ ‬Like Henodus,‭ ‬Parahenodus would be expected to have had an armoured shell protecting its body,‭ ‬though the form of this shell is unknown at the time of writing.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new placodont from the Upper Triassic of Spain provides new insights on the acquisition of the specialized skull of Henodontidae.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Papers in Palaeontology‭ ‬4‭(‬4‭)‬:567-576.‭ ‬-‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Miguel Chaves,‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Ortega‭ & ‬A.‭ ‬Perez-Garcia‭ ‬-‭ ‬2018.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT