Archeopelta

Archeopelta
Temporal range: Middle - Late Triassic, 230–225Ma
Life restoration of Archeopelta arborensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Family: Doswelliidae
Genus: Archeopelta
Desojo, Ezcurra & Schultz, 2011
Species
  • A. arborensis Desojo, Ezcurra & Schultz, 2011 (type)

Archeopelta is an extinct genus of carnivorous archosauriform from the late Middle or early Late Triassic period (late Ladinian to early Carnian stage). It was a 2 m (6 ft) long doswelliid predator which lived in what is now southern Brazil.[1]

It is known from the holotype CPEZ-239a, which consists of partial skeleton and braincase. It was found in the Santa Maria 1 Sequence, previously known as the Santa Maria Formation, in Xiniquá region, São Pedro do Sul of Rio Grande do Sul State. It was first named by Julia B. Desojo, Martin D. Ezcurra and Cesar L. Schultz in 2011 and the type species is Archeopelta arborensis. The generic name comes from archeo, ancient in Greek and pelta, armoured, in reference to its thick osteoderms. The specific name is derived from arbor, tree in Latin, in reference to Sanga da Árvore where the fossils were found.[2]

Phylogeny

Cladogram after Desojo, Ezcurra & Schultz, 2011:[2]

Archosauromorpha

Mesosuchus




Prolacerta


Archosauriformes

Proterosuchus




Vancleavea




Erythrosuchus




Euparkeria




Chanaresuchus




Turfanosuchus


Doswelliidae

Tarjadia




Doswellia



Archeopelta






Yonghesuchus



Archosauria











References

  1. S.J. Nesbitt, J.B. Desojo, R.B. Irmis; 'Anatomy, Phylogeny and Palaeobiology of Early Archosaurs and Their Kin', pp 55.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Julia B. Desojo, Martin D. Ezcurra and Cesar L. Schultz (2011). "An unusual new archosauriform from the Middle–Late Triassic of southern Brazil and the monophyly of Doswelliidae". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 161 (4): 839–871. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2010.00655.x.