Wantzosaurus
Encyclopedia
Wantzosaurus was a genus of temnospondyl
amphibian of the Trematosauridae
family. It existed during the Early Triassic
in what is now Madagascar
. It showed adaptations for an almost completely aquatic lifestyle, having the ability to swim by lateral undulation.
Temnospondyli
Temnospondyli is a diverse order of small to giant tetrapods—often considered primitive amphibians—that flourished worldwide during the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic periods. A few species continued into the Cretaceous. Fossils have been found on every continent...
amphibian of the Trematosauridae
Trematosauridae
Trematosauridae are a family of large temnospondyl amphibians with many members. They first appeared during the Olenekian stage of the Early Triassic, and existed up until around the Carnian stage of the Late Triassic, although by then they were very rare...
family. It existed during the Early Triassic
Early Triassic
The Early Triassic is the first of three epochs of the Triassic period of the geologic timescale. It spans the time between 251 ± 0.4 Ma and 245 ± 1.5 Ma . Rocks from this epoch are collectively known as the Lower Triassic, which is a unit in chronostratigraphy...
in what is now Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. It showed adaptations for an almost completely aquatic lifestyle, having the ability to swim by lateral undulation.