In Depth
Spathicephalus is a genus of early tetrapod that lived during the Carboniferous. Whereas most creatures of its kind had rounded snouts, Spathicephalus is notable for having a roughly square shaped snout when seen from above. The teeth of Spathicephalus are very small and densely packed together, leading to speculation that Spathicephalus may have fed upon aquatic invertebrates, filtering them from the water through their teeth. Analysis of the hyoid process of Spathicephalus suggests that Spathicephalus may have also been a suction feeder, creating sudden low pressure within its mouth to draw smaller aquatic organisms into its mouth.
Further reading
- A rhachitomous amphibian, Spathicephalus, from the Mississippian of Nova Scotia. - Breviora. 157: 1–9. - D. Baird - 1962.
- The cranial morphology and relationships of the aberrant Carboniferous amphibian Spathicephalus mirus Watson. - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 122: 187. - E. H. Beaumont & T. R. Smithson - 1998.
- A new Mississippian tetrapod from Fife, Scotland, and its environmental context”. Papers in Palaeontology. 3 (4): 547–557. - Timothy R. Smithson, Michael A. E. Browne, Sarah J Davies, John E. A. Marshall, David Millward, Stig A. Walsh & Jennifer A. Clack 2017.
