Haptodus
Encyclopedia
Haptodus was a small sphenacodont
, a clade that includes therapsids and hence, mammals. It was at least 1.5 metres (5 ft) in length. It lived from Latest Carboniferous
to Early Permian
, in the equatorial Pangea. It was a medium-sized predator, feeding on insects and small vertebrates. It is one of the basalmost sphenacodontian. Haptodus (like Haptodontinae) appears to be paraphyletic and located on the stem that gave rise to sphenacodontids
, such as Dimetrodon
, as well as therapsids. Unlike Dimetrodon, it lacked the "sail
". Some authors have synonymized Palaeohatteria, Pantelosaurus, and Cutleria with Haptodus, but this does not appear to be warranted
.
Sphenacodontia
Sphenacodontia is the name given to the clade that includes the Sphenacodontidae and all their descendants . They first appear during the Late Pennsylvanian epoch. The defining characteristics include a thickening of the maxilla visible on its internal surface, above the large front teeth; and...
, a clade that includes therapsids and hence, mammals. It was at least 1.5 metres (5 ft) in length. It lived from Latest Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
to Early Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
, in the equatorial Pangea. It was a medium-sized predator, feeding on insects and small vertebrates. It is one of the basalmost sphenacodontian. Haptodus (like Haptodontinae) appears to be paraphyletic and located on the stem that gave rise to sphenacodontids
Sphenacodontidae
Sphenacodontidae is a family of small to large, advanced, carnivorous, Late Pennsylvanian to middle Permian pelycosaurs. Primitive forms were generally small in size , but during the later part of the early Permian these animals grew progressively larger , to become the top predators of their...
, such as Dimetrodon
Dimetrodon
Dimetrodon was a predatory synapsid genus that flourished during the Permian period, living between 280–265 million years ago ....
, as well as therapsids. Unlike Dimetrodon, it lacked the "sail
Sail
A sail is any type of surface intended to move a vessel, vehicle or rotor by being placed in a wind—in essence a propulsion wing. Sails are used in sailing.-History of sails:...
". Some authors have synonymized Palaeohatteria, Pantelosaurus, and Cutleria with Haptodus, but this does not appear to be warranted
.
See also
- DimetrodonDimetrodonDimetrodon was a predatory synapsid genus that flourished during the Permian period, living between 280–265 million years ago ....
- EdaphosaurusEdaphosaurusEdaphosaurus is a genus of prehistoric synapsid which lived around 303 to 265 million years ago, during the late Carboniferous to early Permian periods. The name Edaphosaurus means "ground lizard" and is derived from the Greek edaphos/εδαφος and σαυρος/sauros...
- SphenacodonSphenacodonSphenacodon was a pelycosaur that was about in length. Sphenacodon belongs to the family Sphenacodontidae, a lineage that was related to the therapsids...
- Evolution of mammalsEvolution of mammals__FORCETOC__The evolution of mammals within the synapsid lineage was a gradual process that took approximately 70 million years, beginning in the mid-Permian. By the mid-Triassic, there were many species that looked like mammals, and the first true mammals appeared in the early Jurassic...