Ianthasaurus

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Ianthasaurus Fossil range: Latest Carboniferous
Ianthasaurus hardestii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Synapsida Order: Pelycosauria Family: Edaphosauridae Genus: Ianthasaurus
Species
Ianthasaurus hardesti

Ianthasaurus was a small edaphosaurid from the Late Pennsylvanian. 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 to Haptodus, a sphenacodontid, though they were distantly related.

It was named by Robert R. Reisz and David Bergman in 1986.^[1][2] It was discovered by them in the Upper Pennsylvanian Rock Lake Shale near Garnett, Kansas.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Robert R. Reisz and David S. Berman. 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(1986).
2. ^ Paleobiology Database:Ianthasaurus. Retrieved on December 11, 2007.