Herpetoskylax

Herpetoskylax
Temporal range: Late Permian
Herpetoskylax hopsoni
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Synapsida
Order: Therapsida
Suborder: Biarmosuchia
Genus: Herpetoskylax
Species
  • H. hopsoni

Herpetoskylax is an extinct genus of synapsid biarmosuchian which existed in South Africa. The type species is Herpetoskylax hopsoni.[1] It lived in the Late Permian Period.[2]

The genus name means ‘reptile-puppy’, from the Ancient Greek herpeto- (ἑρπετόν, ‘creeping animal’) and skylax (σκύλαξ, ‘young dog’). The juxtaposition of reptilian and mammalian names highlights the transitional characters of therapsids.[3]

References

  1. Sidor, C.A., and Rubidge, B.S. (2006). "Herpetoskylax hopsoni, a new biarmosuchian (Therapsida: Biarmosuchia) from the Beaufort Group of South Africa" In: Amniote Paleobiology, prespetives on the Evolution of mammals, birds and reptiles, edited by Carrano, M.T., Gaudin, T.J., Blob, R.W., and Wible, J.R. Chicago University Press, p. 76-113
  2. Palaeocritti - a guide to prehistoric animals. Herpetoskylax hopsoni. Downloaded 25/03/2011
  3. Carrano, Matthew T. (2006). Amniote Paleobiology. University of Chicago Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-226-09478-6.
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