Wadiasaurus Temporal range: Middle Triassic
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Restoration of Wadiasaurus indicus | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Synapsida |
Clade: | Therapsida |
Suborder: | †Anomodontia |
Clade: | †Dicynodontia |
Family: | †Kannemeyeriidae Chowdhury, 1970 |
Genus: | †Wadiasaurus Chowdhury, 1970 |
Type species | |
†Wadiasaurus indicus Chowdhury, 1970
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Wadiasaurus (Wadia is of Islamic origin and means "guardianship," and "sauros" means lizard) is an extinct genus of dicynodont from the family Kannemeyeria, that lived in herds from the early to Middle Triassic.[1] Substantial fossorial evidence of W. indicus was recovered from Yerrapalli Formation of the Pranhita-Godavari valley, India, and it is so far the only Kannemeyeriid known for certain from India.[1][2] The Kannemeyeriiformes underwent a significant diversification during the middle Triassic, with roughly 40 known species distributed worldwide.[3] All Kannemeyeriiformes were medium to large bodied,[4] graviportal herbivores with relatively erect posture and gait.[5][6] Wadiasaurus indicus is currently the only known species of Wadiasaurus.[2]