Erpetonyx

Name: Erpetonyx Er-pe-ton-iks.
Phonetic: Er-pe-ton-iks.
Named By: S.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬Modesto,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Scott,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬MacDougall,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬-D.‭ ‬Sues,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Evans‭ ‬-‭ ‬R.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Reisz‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Procolophonomorpha.
Species: E.‭ ‬arsenaultorum‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Insectivore‭?
Size: Roughly about ‭20-25 ‬centimetres long.
Known locations: Canada,‭ ‬Prince Edward Island.
Time period: Gzhelian of the Carboniferous.
Fossil representation: Almost complete individual.

       Though only a small animal,‭ ‬as of‭ ‬2015‭ ‬Erpetonyx is the earliest known appearance of a parareptile.‭ ‬This is an important discovery as it helps to fill a gap in our understanding of the evolution of reptiles.‭ ‬The original describers have also speculated that Erpetonyx is a possible bolosaurid.

Further reading
-‭ ‬The oldest parareptile and the early diversification of reptiles.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Proceedings of the Royal Society B:‭ ‬Biological Sciences‭ ‬282‭ (‬1801‭)‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬S.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬Modesto,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Scott,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬MacDougall,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬-D.‭ ‬Sues,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Evans‭ ‬-‭ ‬R.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Reisz‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Random favourites