Edaphosauridae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Edaphosauridae Temporal range: Pennsylvanian - Cisuralian, 303–299 Ma |
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| Edaphosaurus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Synapsida |
| (unranked): | Eupelycosauria |
| Family: | †Edaphosauridae Cope, 1882 |
| Genera | |
Edaphosauridae is a family of mostly large (up to 3 meters or more) advanced, Late Pennsylvanian to early Permian pelycosaurs.
They were the earliest known herbivorous amniotes, and along with the Diadectidae the earliest known herbivorous tetrapods. The head is small in relation to the bulky body, and there is a tall sail along the back, which may have functioned as a thermoregulatory device.
Edaphosaur fossils are so far known only from North America and Europe.
[edit] References
- Carroll, R. L. (1988), Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution, WH Freeman & Co.
- Reisz, R. R., 1986, Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie – Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology, Part 17A Pelycosauria Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, ISBN 3-89937-032-5
[edit] External links
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