Edaphosaurus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Edaphosaurus cruciger
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Extinct (fossil)
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Edaphosaurus pogonias |
Edaphosaurus (Greek: earth lizard; from edaphos, "ground"; and sauros, "lizard") was a primitive herbivorous pelycosaur reptile. Along with the Diadectidae, Edaphosaurus is one of the earliest known plant-eating animals. It had a remarkably small, short and shallow skull, a wide body and thick tail. On its back is a sail, different in shape to that of its contemporary Dimetrodon, the vertebral spines being shorter and heavier and bearing numerous small cross bars.
The earliest known species are known from fragmentary remains of small animals from latest Carboniferous. Successive species increased in size during the middle Permian period, until they attained about 3.2 metres in length, as represented by the species Edaphosaurus cruciger and Edaphosaurus pogonias. These large species are distinguished by the cervical and anterior thoracic neural spines bearing large club-like sidebars.
Edaphosaurus pogonias is also the type species, a large early Permian form whose fossils are known from the Permian red beds of Texas. However it is not known for certain if all these species attributed to this genus actually belong there. The name Naosaurus claviger is given to an earlier smaller species that is usually included under Edaphosaurus.
[edit] In popular culture
- Edaphosaurus was shown in the Walking with Monsters series. In the series, it was mentioned that Edaphosaurus' worst enemy was Dimetrodon.
[edit] References
- Carroll, R. L. (1988), Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution, WH Freeman & Co.
- Colbert, E. H., (1969), Evolution of the Vertebrates, John Wiley & Sons Inc (2nd ed.)
- Romer, A. S., (1947, revised ed. 1966) Vertebrate Paleontology, University of Chicago Press, Chicago
- Romer, A. S. and Price, L. I., (1940), Review of the Pelycosauria, Geological Society of American Special Papers, No 28
