Habrosaurus
| Habrosaurus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Urodela |
| Family: | Sirenidae |
| Genus: | †Habrosaurus Gilmore, 1933 |
| Synonyms | |
|
Adelphesiren[1] | |
For the duck-billed dinosaur, see Hadrosaurus
Habrosaurus is an extinct genus of prehistoric salamanders, and the oldest known member of the family Sirenidae. Two species are known, H. prodilatus from the middle Campanian of Alberta,[2] and H. dilatus from the late Maastrichtian and Paleocene of western North America. It is relatively common in the Lance Formation of Wyoming, and less common in the Hell Creek of Montana.
Description
Habrosaurus was one of the largest lissamphibians of all time, comparable to modern giant salamanders at about 1.6 meters.[3] H. prodilatus possessed chisel-like teeth, while H. dilatus had bulkier crowns. The teeth of H. dilatus also exhibited heavy wear facets while those of H. prodilatus had only mild wear, suggesting that H. dilatus was more adapted for durophagy than H. prodilatus. H. dilatus may have preyed upon arthropods with hard carapaces as well as mollusks.[4]
Classification
Habrosaurus is a sister taxa to both Pseudobranchus and Siren.[5]
References
- ↑ Gardner, James D. (November 2003). "REVISION OF HABROSAURUS GILMORE (CAUDATA; SIRENIDAE) AND RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SIRENID SALAMANDERS". Palaeontology. 46 (6): 1089–1122.
- ↑ "Gardner"
- ↑ Bonett, R. M., Trujano-Alvarez, A. L., Williams, M. J. & Timpe, E. K. 2013. Biogeography and body size shuffling of aquatic salamander communities on a shifting refuge. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 280, 20130200.
- ↑ "Gardner"
- ↑ "Gardner"