Ostodolepidae
Encyclopedia
Ostodolepidae is an extinct family
of tuditanomorph
microsaurs. They are unique among microsaurs in that they were large, reaching lengths of up to 2 feet (61 cm), terrestrial, and presumably fossorial
. Ostodolepid remains have been found from Early Permian beds in Texas
and Oklahoma
.
Ostodolepids have elongated trunks, with small, robust limbs and shortened tails. The occiput
is high, but the skull narrows toward the snout. The snout is pointed and projects past the jaw. In dorsal view, the skull is roughly triangular. The ventral temporal margin is emarginated. At the back of the skull, there is a large cavity between the supraoccipital and the skull roof
. The skull is well ossified, with tight sutures between bones. The skull roof is relatively smooth, although scattered pits and grooves are usually present. There are 32 to 45 presacral vertebrae, and three sacral
vertebrae.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of tuditanomorph
Tuditanomorpha
Tuditanomorpha is a suborder of microsaur lepospondyls. Tuditanomorphs lived from the Late Carboniferous to the Early Permian and are known from North America and Europe. Tuditanomorphs have a similar pattern of bones in the skull roof. Tuditanomorphs display considerable variability, especially in...
microsaurs. They are unique among microsaurs in that they were large, reaching lengths of up to 2 feet (61 cm), terrestrial, and presumably fossorial
Fossorial
A fossorial organism is one that is adapted to digging and life underground such as the badger, the naked mole rat, and the mole salamanders Ambystomatidae...
. Ostodolepid remains have been found from Early Permian beds in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Ostodolepids have elongated trunks, with small, robust limbs and shortened tails. The occiput
Occiput
The occiput is the anatomical term for the posterior portion of the head, in insects the posterior part of those head capsule.-Clinical significance:Trauma to the occiput can cause a basilar skull fracture....
is high, but the skull narrows toward the snout. The snout is pointed and projects past the jaw. In dorsal view, the skull is roughly triangular. The ventral temporal margin is emarginated. At the back of the skull, there is a large cavity between the supraoccipital and the skull roof
Skull roof
The skull roof , or the roofing bones of the skull are a set of bones covering the brain, eyes and nostrils in bony fishes and all land living vertebrates. The bones are derived from dermal bone, hence the alternative name dermatocranium...
. The skull is well ossified, with tight sutures between bones. The skull roof is relatively smooth, although scattered pits and grooves are usually present. There are 32 to 45 presacral vertebrae, and three sacral
Sacrum
In vertebrate anatomy the sacrum is a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine and at the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity, where it is inserted like a wedge between the two hip bones. Its upper part connects with the last lumbar vertebra, and bottom part with the coccyx...
vertebrae.