Mastodonsaurus
Sign in to saveMastodonsaurus (meaning "teat tooth lizard") is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian from the Middle Triassic of Europe. It belongs to a Triassic group of temnospondyls called Capitosauria, characterized by their large body size, large flattened skulls, and probably mainly aquatic lifestyles. Mastodonsaurus remains one of the largest amphibians known, and may have exceeded 6 meters (20 feet) in length.
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6 sectionsContents
- Description
- Paleobiology
- History and etymology
- Species
- Formerly assigned species
- References
Mastodonsaurus (meaning "teat tooth lizard") is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian from the Middle Triassic of Europe. It belongs to a Triassic group of temnospondyls called Capitosauria, characterized by their large body size, large flattened skulls, and probably mainly aquatic lifestyles. Mastodonsaurus remains one of the largest amphibians known, and may have exceeded 6 meters (20 feet) in length.
==Description== thumb|left|Illustration of Mastodonsaurus skull, showing the "third eye" pineal foramen in the skull roof and the pairs of orbits, nostrils, and mandible tusk openings, as well as sensory sulci on the face and the otic notches and the double condyle to attach to the neck vertebrae at the back of the skull. The left half shows the pitted texture of the skull surface while the other half indicates the separate bones that make up the skull.