Gerrothorax

Gerrothorax pustuloglomeratus

• Greenland
• Sweden
• Southern Germany

Gerrothorax was an amphibian -like, primitive land vertebrates from the group of Temnospondylen. Its fossil remains have been found in Sweden, in East Greenland and in the Lettenkeuper marshes in southern Germany. There is only one valid way Gerrothorax pulcherrimus.

Features

Gerrothorax was about a meter long, with a flattened head with large, close -set eyes far above together, a flat, squat body, and even as an adult animal, three pairs of external gills and stocky limbs. His mouth was filled with sharp teeth. On the palate, some elongated fangs were. He lived permanently in the water.

Gerrothorax lurked likely hidden on the seabed lying on past floating loot. Like other flat -headed Temnospondylen he could thereby the lower jaw does not reduce, but had to raise the skull. This was made possible by a particular configuration of the joint between the occiput and atlas. Upon opening of the mouth, the lower jaw was somewhat advanced. Aufgerissen took the open mouth an angle of 50 °.

Source

• Farish A. Jenkins Jr., Neil H. Shubin, Stephen M. Gatesy & Anne Warren: Gerrothorax pulcherrimus from the Upper Triassic Fleming Fjord Formation of East Greenland and a reassessment of head lifting in Temnospondyl Feeding. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 ( 4) :935 - 950th 2008 doi: 10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.935
• Stuttgart contributions to natural history, Gerrothorax pustulogomeratus, a Temnospndyle ( Amphibia ) with bony Branchialkammer from the Lower Deuper of copper cell (southern Germany, Series B No. 330 of 31 January 2003, Hanna Hellrung ), Stuttgart