Haptodus

Haptodus


Haptodus
Temporal range: late Carboniferous (Gzhelian) to Early Permian
Haptodus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Synapsida
Order: Pelycosauria
(unranked) Eupelycosauria
(unranked) Sphenacodontia
Genus: Haptodus
Species

H. garnettensis
?H. grandis
?H. beylei

Haptodus was a small sphenacodont, a clade that includes therapsids and hence, mammals. It was at least 1.5 metres (5 ft) in length. It lived from Latest Carboniferous to Early Permian, in the equatorial Pangea. It was a medium-sized predator, feeding on insects and small vertebrates. It is one of the basalmost sphenacodontian. Haptodus (like Haptodontinae) appears to be paraphyletic [1] and located on the stem that gave rise to sphenacodontids, such as Dimetrodon, as well as therapsids. Unlike Dimetrodon, it lacked the "sail". Some authors have synonymized Palaeohatteria, Pantelosaurus, and Cutleria with Haptodus, but this does not appear to be warranted[2] .

References

  1. ^ Laurin, M. (1993). Anatomy and relationships of Haptodus garnettensis, a Pennsylvanian synapsid from Kansas, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 13: 200–229.
  2. ^ Laurin, M. (1994). Re-evaluation of Cutleria wilmarthi, an Early Permian synapsid from Colorado, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 14: 134-138.

Gallery

  • life restoration of Haptodus garnettensis

  • Fossil

See also

  • List of synapsids
Abyssal Brachiopod 00148.jpg Paleontology portal


Stub icon This Synapsid-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.