Mesodapedon
Encyclopedia
Mesodapedon is an extinct genus
of hyperodapedontid rhynchosaur
from middle Triassic
(Anisian
stage) deposits of India
. It is known from the holotype
ISIR
-300 and from the paratype ISIR-301 from the Yerrapalli Formation. It was first named by Sankar Chatterjee
in 1980
and the type species
is Mesodapedon kuttyi. It is extremely closely related to the Tanzanian Stenaulorhynchus
and even was considered to be its synonym.
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 hyperodapedontid rhynchosaur
Rhynchosaur
Rhynchosaurs were a group of Triassic diapsid reptiles related to the archosaurs.-Description:Rhynchosaurs were herbivores, and at times abundant , with stocky bodies and a powerful beak...
from middle 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...
(Anisian
Anisian
In the geologic timescale, the Anisian is the lower stage or earliest age of the Middle Triassic series or epoch and lasted from 245 million years ago until 237 million years ago, approximately...
stage) deposits of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It 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...
ISIR
Indian Statistical Institute
Indian Statistical Institute is a public research institute and university in Kolkata's northern outskirt of Baranagar, India founded by Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in 1931...
-300 and from the paratype ISIR-301 from the Yerrapalli Formation. It was first named by Sankar Chatterjee
Sankar Chatterjee
Sankar Chatterjee is a paleontologist, and is the Paul W. Horn Professor of Geosciences at Texas Tech University and Curator of Paleontology at the Museum of Texas Tech University. He earned his Ph. D. from the University of Calcutta in 1970 and was a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian...
in 1980
1980 in paleontology
-Newly named dinosaurs:Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list and Dr. Jeremy Montague's dinosaur genus database.-New taxa:-New taxa:-Non-mammalian:-References:...
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 Mesodapedon kuttyi. It is extremely closely related to the Tanzanian Stenaulorhynchus
Stenaulorhynchus
Stenaulorhynchus is an extinct genus of hyperodapedontid rhynchosaur from Middle Triassic deposits of Tanganyika Territory, Tanzania. It was found in the Manda Formation. It was first named by Sidney Henry Haughton in 1932 and the type species is Stenaulorhynchus stockleyi.-Material:Many specimens...
and even was considered to be its synonym.