Kenomagnathus

Ken-o-mah-nay-fus.
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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

Kenomagnathus ‭(‬gap jaw‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ken-o-mah-nay-fus.

Named By

F.‭ ‬Spindler‭ ‬-‭ ‬2020.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Synapsida,‭ ‬Eupelycosauria,‭ ‬Sphenacodontia.

Diet

Carnivore‭?

Species

K.‭ ‬scottae‭

Size

Unavailable due to lack of remains.

Known locations

USA,‭ ‬Kansas‭ ‬-‭ ‬Stanton Formation.

Time Period

Pennsylvanian of the Carboniferous.

Fossil representation

Partial skull bones including maxilla and lacrimal.

In Depth

       The holotype fossils of Kenomagnathus were originally thought to be of the genus Haptodus until they were formally described‭ ‬as a distinct genus‭ ‬in‭ ‬2020.‭ ‬Although only partially preserved,‭ ‬the size of the lacrimal bone suggests that Kenomagnathus would have had large eyes.‭ ‬As a hunter,‭ ‬these large eyes might have helped Kenomagnathus to see in low light conditions while hunting for prey.

Further reading

-‭ ‬A faunivorous early sphenacodontian synapsid with a diastema.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Palaeontologia Electronica.‭ ‬23‭ (‬1‭)‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Spindler‭ ‬-‭ ‬2020.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT