Sauropleura

Sore-o-plu-rah.
Published on

Emerson Winslow

Paleoichthyologist

Emerson Winslow delves into the underwater world of prehistoric fish, uncovering the mysteries of early marine life. His discoveries have enhanced understanding of vertebrate evolution in aquatic environments.

Cite Feedback Print

Name

Sauropleura ‭(‬lizard joint‭)‬.

Phonetic

Sore-o-plu-rah.

Named By

Edward Drinker Cope‭ ‬-‭ ‬1868.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Amphibia,‭ ‬Lepospondyli,‭ ‬Nectridea,‭ ‬Urocordylidae.

Diet

Invertebrates.

Species

S.‭ ‬bairdi,‭ ‬S.‭ ‬longidentata,‭ ‬S.‭ ‬pectinata,‭ ‬S.‭ ‬scalaris

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

USA.

Time Period

Carboniferous.

Fossil representation

Several specimens.

In Depth

       Sauropleura was a small lepospondyl amphibian that had a long,‭ ‬narrow body and tail,‭ ‬with only relatively small limbs.‭ ‬As such Sauropleura was probably more at home in the water where it uses its limbs and thin body to navigate through submerged aquatic plants as it hunted for invertebrates,‭ ‬though it is not entirely out‭ ‬of the question that‭ ‬it could have left the water.

       A previous species of Sauropleura known as S.‭ ‬longipes was renamed as a new genus in‭ ‬1976‭ ‬as Anthracodromeus.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Synopsis of the Extinct Batrachia of North America,‭ ‬Edward Drinker Cope‭ ‬-‭ ‬1868.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT