Acherontiscus

Ah-che-roe-nik-teh-rus.
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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.

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Name

Acherontiscus.

Phonetic

Ah-che-roe-nik-teh-rus.

Named By

Robert L.‭ ‬Carroll‭ ‬-‭ ‬1969.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Amphibia,‭ ‬Lepospondyli,‭ ‬Adelospondyli,‭ ‬Acherontiscidae.

Diet

Carnivore/Insectivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬caledoniae‭

Size

About‭ 14‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

Scotland.

Time Period

Visean of the Carboniferous.

Fossil representation

Skull and partial post cranial skeleton.

In Depth

       Named after a tributary of the River Styx from Ancient Greek mythology,‭ ‬Acherontiscus was a small lepospondyl that lived in the‭ ‬area that‭ ‬what would become Scotland‭ ‬back‭ ‬in the Carboniferous period.‭ ‬Acherontiscus is also the type genus of its own group,‭ ‬the Acherontiscidae.‭ ‬Acherontiscus is noted for having a long body but proportionately small limbs.‭ ‬This may have been an evolutionary development that allowed Acherontiscus to pass through and amongst narrow obstacles in search of small prey.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new family of Carboniferous amphibians. -‭ ‬Robert L.‭ ‬Carroll‭ ‬-‭ ‬1969. – Acherontiscus caledoniae: the earliest heterodont and durophagous tetrapod. – Royal Society Open Science. 6 (5). – Jennifer A. Clack, Marcello Ruta, Andrew R. Milner, John E. A. Marshall, Timothy R. Smithson & Keturah Z. Smithson – 2019.

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