Gerrothorax
| Gerrothorax | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drawing Gerrothorax pulcherrimus |
||||||||||||
| Temporal occurrence | ||||||||||||
| Middle Triassic to Upper Triassic | ||||||||||||
| 230 to 200 million years | ||||||||||||
| Locations | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Gerrothorax | ||||||||||||
| Nilsson , 1934 | ||||||||||||
Gerrothorax was an amphibian-like , primitive terrestrial vertebrate from the group of Temnospondyles . Its fossil remains have been found in Sweden, in East Greenland and in the Lettenkeuper swamps of southern Germany. There is only one valid species, Gerrothorax pulcherrimus .
features
Gerrothorax was about three feet long, had a flattened head with large, closely spaced eyes, a flat, stocky body, as well as, even as an adult animal, three pairs of external gills and stocky limbs. Its mouth was studded with sharp teeth. There were several elongated fangs on the roof of the mouth. He lived permanently in the water.
Gerrothorax was probably lying in wait, hidden on the bottom of the water, for prey swimming by. Like other flat-headed Temnospondyles, he could not lower the lower jaw, but had to raise the skull. This was made possible by a special design of the joint between the occiput and the atlas . When opening the mouth, the lower jaw was pushed forward a little. Torn open, the open mouth took an angle of 50 °.
literature
- Farish A. Jenkins Jr., Neil H. Shubin, Stephen M. Gatesy & Anne Warren: Gerrothorax pulcherrimus from the Upper Triassic Fleming Fjord Formation of East Greenland and a Reassessment of Head Lifting in Temnospondyl Feeding. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 (4): 935-950. 2008 doi : 10.1671 / 0272-4634-28.4.935
- Hanna Hellrung : Gerrothorax pustulogomeratus, a Temnospndyle (Amphibia) with a bony bronchial chamber from the Lower Keuper of Kupferzell . In: Stuttgart contributions to natural history , series B. No. 330 of January 31, 2003, Stuttgart
