Karaurus
Karaurus (meaning head-tail) is an extinct genus of stem-group salamander from the Middle to Late Jurassic (Callovian–Kimmeridgian) Karabastau Formation of Kazakhstan. It is one of the oldest salamanders known.
| Karaurus Temporal range: Late Jurassic | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fossil skeleton | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Clade: | Caudata |
| Family: | †Karauridae |
| Genus: | †Karaurus Ivachnenko, 1978 |
| Type species | |
| †Karaurus sharovi Ivachnenko, 1978 | |
Karaurus was about 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long, and very similar anatomically to modern salamanders. It probably swam through fresh water feeding on aquatic snails, worms, crustaceans and insects.[2] Karaurus is thought to form a clade with Kokartus from the Bathonian of Kyrgyzstan, together forming the Karauridae, as the sister group to crown salamanders.
Life restoration of Karaurus sharovi
References
- "†Karaurus Ivachnenko 1978". Paleobiology Database. Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 57. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.