Pteroplax

‭T‬eh-roe-plaks.
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Claire Morris

Marine Paleontologist

Claire Morris has dedicated her career to exploring the depths of prehistoric oceans. Her fascination with ancient marine life has led her to discover significant fossils that illuminate the evolution of early sea creatures.

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Name

Pteroplax ‭(‬finned tablet‭)‬.

Phonetic

‭T‬eh-roe-plaks.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptiliomorpha,‭ ‬Anthracosauria,‭ ‬Embolomeri,‭ ‬Eogyrinidae.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

P.‭ ‬cornutus‭

Size

Skull about‭ ‬20‭ ‬centimetres long,‭ ‬total body length about‭ ‬2‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

England.

Time Period

Westphalian of the Carboniferous.

Fossil representation

Several individuals.

In Depth

       Pteroplax was an eogyrinid reptiliomorph that lived in England during the Carboniferous period.‭ ‬Like relative genera,‭ ‬Pteroplax had an elongated narrow body with reduced limbs.‭ ‬This kind of body enabled Pteroplax to squeeze in‭ ‬between tight spaces and obstacles to hunt down prey such as fish and small amphibians.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Notes on the remains of some reptiles and fishes from the shales of the Northumberland coal field:‭ ‬Annals and Magazine of Natural History,‭ ‬4th series,‭ ‬n.‭ ‬1,‭ ‬p.‭ ‬266-278,‭ ‬346-378.‭ ‬-‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Hancock‭ & ‬T.‭ ‬Atthby‭ ‬-‭ ‬1868. -‭ ‬The axial skeleton of the Carboniferous amphibian,‭ ‬Pteroplax cornutus.‭ ‬Palaeontology,‭ ‬23‭ (‬2‭)‬,‭ ‬273-285.‭ ‬-‭ ‬M.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Boyd‭ ‬-‭ ‬1980a. – The axial skeleton of the Carboniferous amphibian Pteroplax cornutus. – Palaeontology. 23 (Part2): 273–285. – Michael J. Boyd – 1980.

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