Axitectum
Encyclopedia
Axitectum is an extinct genus
of bystrowianid reptiliomorph from lower Triassic
deposits of Nizhni Novgorod and Kirov Regions, Russia
. It was a rather large animal judging by the size of it's vertebrae. The back was covered in bands of highly ornamented osteoderm
plates, similar to those found in modern crocodiles. The bands overlapped with the next band at the posterior end.
It was first named by M.A. Shishkin and I.V. Novikov in 1992
and the type species
is Axitectum vjushkovi. A. vjushkovi is known from the holotype
PIN 1025/334, which consists of armor scute. It was found in the Vokhminskaya Formation of the Vokhmin Horizon and named in honour of Vyushkov, who was a Russian paleontologist. A second species, A. georgi, was named by I.V. Novikov and M.A. Shishkin in 2000
on the basis of another armor scute (holotype PIN 953/392). It was found in the Fedorovskaya Formation of the Yarenskian Superhorizon and named in honour of the geologist Georgii Ivanovich Blom. A third species, A. blomi (which also named in honour of G.I. Blom, in 1992
), is now considered junior synonym of the type species. Other materials also referred to Axitectum.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of bystrowianid reptiliomorph from lower Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
deposits of Nizhni Novgorod and Kirov Regions, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It was a rather large animal judging by the size of it's vertebrae. The back was covered in bands of highly ornamented osteoderm
Osteoderm
Osteoderms are bony deposits forming scales, plates or other structures in the dermal layers of the skin. Osteoderms are found in many groups of extant and extinct reptiles, including lizards, various groups of dinosaurs , crocodilians, phytosaurs, aetosaurs, placodonts, and hupehsuchians...
plates, similar to those found in modern crocodiles. The bands overlapped with the next band at the posterior end.
It was first named by M.A. Shishkin and I.V. Novikov in 1992
1992 in paleontology
- Dinosaurs :* During the 1992 field season a concerted effort was undertaken by the Royal Tyrell Museum to recover the remains of young hadrosaurs. The researchers describe the acquisition that season of 43 specimens as being a success...
and the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is Axitectum vjushkovi. A. vjushkovi is known from the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
PIN 1025/334, which consists of armor scute. It was found in the Vokhminskaya Formation of the Vokhmin Horizon and named in honour of Vyushkov, who was a Russian paleontologist. A second species, A. georgi, was named by I.V. Novikov and M.A. Shishkin in 2000
2000 in paleontology
-Newly named insects:-Newly named placoderms:-Amphibians:-Ichthyosaurs:-Newly named crurotarsans:-Newly named dinosaurs:Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list and Dr...
on the basis of another armor scute (holotype PIN 953/392). It was found in the Fedorovskaya Formation of the Yarenskian Superhorizon and named in honour of the geologist Georgii Ivanovich Blom. A third species, A. blomi (which also named in honour of G.I. Blom, in 1992
1992 in paleontology
- Dinosaurs :* During the 1992 field season a concerted effort was undertaken by the Royal Tyrell Museum to recover the remains of young hadrosaurs. The researchers describe the acquisition that season of 43 specimens as being a success...
), is now considered junior synonym of the type species. Other materials also referred to Axitectum.