Ianthasaurus

Ianthasaurus is an extinct genus of small edaphosaurids from the Late Carboniferous.

Ianthasaurus
Temporal range: Late Carboniferous,
~304 Ma
↓
Life restoration
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Family: †Edaphosauridae
Genus: †Ianthasaurus
Reisz and Berman, 1986
Type species
†Ianthasaurus hardestii
Reisz & Berman, 1986

Description

It is one of the smallest pelycosaurs known, with an 8 cm skull and a total body length of 75 cm.[1] Ianthasaurus lacks many of the spectacular specializations seen in Edaphosaurus. For example, the marginal dentition of Ianthasaurus is similar to that of insectivorous reptiles, with slender conical teeth which are slightly recurved at the tips, and there is a slight development of a caniniform region. The palatal and mandibular dentition is unspecialized, and there are no batteries of teeth for crushing of plant materials. Also unlike Edaphosaurus, Ianthasaurus was lightly built and was probably quite agile. The skull was similar to that of Haptodus, a sphenacodontid, though they were distantly related.

Discovery

It was named by Robert R. Reisz and David Berman in 1986.[2][3] It was discovered by them in the Upper Pennsylvanian Rock Lake Shale near Garnett, Kansas.[2]

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See also

References
  1. T.S. Kemp (2005) The origin and evolution of mammals p.24.
  2. Robert R. Reisz and David S. Berman (1986). "Ianthasaurus hardestii n. sp., a primitive edaphosaur (Reptilia, Pelycosauria) from the Upper Pennsylvanian Rock Lake Shale near Garnett, Kansas". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 23 (1): 77–91. doi:10.1139/e86-008.
  3. "Ianthasaurus". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved December 11, 2007.


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