Herpetoskylax

Her-pe-toe-sky-laks.
By Nisha Yadav
Published on

Nisha Yadav

Physicist

Nisha Yadav is a dedicated physicist whose work bridges the gap between physics and paleontology. With a deep interest in the processes that preserve ancient life, she explores how physical principles govern fossilization and the preservation of extinct species.

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Yadav, N. (2013, July 27). Herpetoskylax. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/herpetoskylax/

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Name

Herpetoskylax ‭(‬reptile puppy‭)‬.

Phonetic

Her-pe-toe-sky-laks.

Named By

C.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Sidor‭ & ‬B.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Rubidge‭ ‬-‭ ‬2006.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Synapsida,‭ ‬Therapsida,‭ ‬Biarmosuchia.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

H.‭ ‬hopsoni‭

Size

Skull‭ ‬13‭ ‬centimetres long.‭ ‬Total length roughly estimated about‭ ‬1‭ ‬meter long.

Known locations

South Africa‭ ‬-‭ ‬Teekloof Formation.

Time Period

Wuchiapingian of the Permian.

Fossil representation

Skulls and mandible‭ (‬lower jaw‭)‬,‭ ‬from two individuals.

In Depth

       Herpetoskylax was a biarmosuchian‭ (‬relative to the better known Biarmosuchus‭) ‬therapsid that lived in South Africa towards the end of the Mid Permian period.‭ ‬So far the genus is only known from skulls and lower jaws,‭ ‬but as a biarmosuchian,‭ ‬Herpetoskylax would have been a predator.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Herpetoskylax hopsoni,‭ ‬a new biarmosuchian‭ (‬Therapsida:‭ ‬Biarmosuchia‭) ‬from the Beaufort Group of South Africa,‭ ‬by C.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Sidor‭ & ‬B.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Rubidge‭ ‬-‭ ‬In Amniote Paleobiology,‭ ‬prespetives on the Evolution of mammals,‭ ‬birds and reptiles‭ ‬-‭ ‬M.‭ ‬T.‭ ‬Carrano,‭ ‬T.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬gaudin,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Blob‭ & ‬J.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Wible‭ [‬eds‭] ‬-‭ ‬Chicago University Press.‭ ‬-‭ ‬2006.

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