Deltasaurus
| Deltasaurus Temporal range: Late Triassic | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restoration of Deltasaurus kimberleyensis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | "Amphibia" (wide sense) |
| Order: | †Temnospondyli |
| Suborder: | †Stereospondyli |
| Family: | †Rhytidosteidae |
| Subfamily: | †Derwentiinae |
| Genus: | †Deltasaurus Cosgriff, 1965 |
| Species | |
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Deltasaurus is an extinct genus of Carnian temnospondyl amphibian of the Rhytidosteidae family.
D. kimberleyensis fossil
It is the most common animal fossil of the Blina Shale, a fossil deposit at the eastern end of the Erskine Range in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. A specimen has also been collected from the Knocklofty Sandstone deposit in Tasmania.
One species of Deltasaurus, D. kimberleyensis, grew to around 90 centimetres in length. It had four limbs and a tail, and numerous tiny teeth. It is thought to have been a predator of fish.
References
- Warren, Anne (1987). "An Ancient Amphibian from Western Australia". In Hand, Suzanne and Michael Archer. The Antipodean Ark. Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0-207-15664-6.
Further reading
- Cosgriff, J. W. (1965). "A new genus of Temnospondyli from the Triassic of Western Australia". Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Western Australia 48: 65–90.
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