Hyperodapedon

Skeletal reconstruction of Hyperodapedon at the Museum of Natural History at the University of Michigan.

• South America
• North America
• Africa
• India

• Gordoni H. Huxley, 1859 ( type species )
• H. huxleyi Lydekker, 1881
• H. mariensis ( Tupi - Caldas, 1933)

Hyperodapedon is a genus of Rhynchosauria, a group of extinct, herbivorous Diapsiden. She lived during the Upper Triassic ( Carnian ) and was nearly worldwide ( cosmopolitan ) distributed; then fossils found in South America, North America, Africa, Europe and India. Many other amniotes the Upper Triassic were also common cosmopolitan, since at that time all the land masses to the supercontinent Pangea were united. This genus was in 1859 with the only kind Hyperodapedon gordoni by Thomas Huxley first described scientifically.

Features

Hyperodapedon was up to 2 m long. The cheek region was high and was formed from mainly from the cheekbone and the upper jaw. The paired Zwischenkieferbein excelled as a sculptor like element. The lower jaw had two rows of teeth, one directly on the upper edge and the other somewhat below was located further inwards in the mouth. The skull was viewed from above triangular and broader than long, which allowed the formation of large jaw muscles. The top of the oral cavity showed broad tooth plates with several rows of teeth. The TMJ prevented movements of the jaw against each other, creating a very precise cutting machine originated. Hyperodapedon had large claws on the limbs that may have been used for digging roots.

Systematics and species

Hyperodapedon was a representative of Rhynchosaurier which are characterized for their tusk- like outgrowths of the premaxillary bone. Together with the very closely related genera Teyumbaita and Isalorhynchus forms Hyperodapedon the taxon Hyperdapedontinae.

Hyperodapedon of relatively many types have been described in comparison with other Rhynchosauriern. The type species, H. gordoni, was described in 1859 by Thomas Huxley. After a further 5 species have been named. The genus Scaphonyx once described as a dinosaur is now regarded as a synonym of Hyperodapedon, and described in 1881 by Lydekker Indian style Paradapedon is huxleyi out huxleyi since an analysis of Benton (1983 ) as Hyperodapedon.

Kladgrogramm:

Howesia

Rhynchosaurus

Stenaulorhynchys

Fodonyx

Isalorhynchus

Teyumbaita

Hyperodapedon

Cladogram of the species:

H. huenei

H. mariensis

H. gordoni

H. huxleyi

H. fischeri

H. sanjuanensis

Documents

• Michael J. Benton: vertebrate paleontology. 2007, ISBN 3-89937-072-4, p 160