Andrias matthewi

Andrias matthewi
Temporal range: Arikareean–Barstovian [1]
Size comparison between a human and A. matthewi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Cryptobranchidae
Genus: Andrias
Species:
†A. matthewi
Binomial name
†Andrias matthewi
(Cook, 1917)[2]
Synonyms
  • Plicagnathus matthewi
    Cook, 1917
  • Cryptobranchus matthewi
    (Cook, 1917)
  • Cryptobranchus mccalli
    Tihen & Chantell, 1963[3]

Andrias matthewi, or Matthew's giant salamander,[4] is an extinct species of giant salamander from the Miocene of North America. It belongs to the genus Andrias, which contains the living Asian giant salamanders. It is the largest salamander to have ever existed, with a maximum estimated length of 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in).[5] Its fossils have been found in Nebraska, Colorado, and Saskatchewan.[1]

  1. ^ a b Holman, J.A. (2006). Fossil Salamanders of North America. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. pp. 71–73. ISBN 0-253-34732-7.
  2. ^ Cook, H.J. (1917). "First recorded amphibian from the Tertiary of Nebraska". Bulletin of the Geological Society of America. 28: 213.
  3. ^ Tihen, J.A.; Chantell, C.J. (1963). "Urodele remains from the Valentine Formation of Nebraska". Copeia. 1963 (3): 505-510. doi:10.2307/1441470. JSTOR 1441470.
  4. ^ Holman, J.A. (1976). "The herpetofauna of the lower Valentine Formation, north-central Nebraska". Herpetologica. 32 (3): 262–268. JSTOR 3891452.
  5. ^ Naylor, B.G. (1981). "Cryptobranchid salamanders from the Paleocene and Miocene of Saskatchewan". Copeia. 1981 (1): 76–86. doi:10.2307/1444042. JSTOR 1444042.