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
  • D. kimberleyensis Cosgriff, 1965 (type)
  • D. pustulatus Cosgriff, 1965

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

Further reading