Ennatosaurus

En-nat-o-sore-us.
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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

Ennatosaurus ‭(‬Ninth lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

En-nat-o-sore-us.

Named By

Efremov‭ ‬-‭ ‬1956.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Synapsida,‭ ‬Pelycosauria,‭ ‬Caseasauria,‭ ‬Caseidae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

E.‭ ‬tecton‭

Size

Adult size estimated about‭ ‬4‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Russia,‭ ‬Krasnoshchel‭' ‬Formation.

Time Period

Capitanian to Wuchiapingian of the Permian.

Fossil representation

Remains of several individuals,‭ ‬mostly of juveniles though one adult skull is known.

In Depth

       Ennatosaurus is a genus of caseid pelycosaur that in Russia during the later stages of the Permian.‭ ‬These kinds of pelycosaurs are noted for their herbivorous diets and powerful fore limbs which may have been used for digging up plants.‭ ‬The most interesting thing about Ennatosaurus is that when the first remains were found,‭ ‬several small juveniles were found clustered together with the presence of a single skull.‭ ‬Not only does this suggest that they were all buried at the same time as one another,‭ ‬but it also hints that at least some pelycosaurs stuck together in their early years and were possibly watched over by a parent.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Cranial Anatomy of Ennatosaurus tecton‭ (‬Synapsida:‭ ‬Caseidae‭) ‬from the Middle Permian of Russia and the Evolutionary Relationships of Caseidae‭ ‬-Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology‭ ‬28‭(‬1‭)‬:160-180‭ ‬-‭ ‬H.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Maddin,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Sidor‭ & ‬R.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Reisz‭ ‬-‭ ‬2008.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT