Belodon

Belodon
Temporal range: Triassic, 205.6–201.6 Ma[1]
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Belodon teeth originally referred to Mystriosuchus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Order: †Phytosauria
Family: †Parasuchidae
Genus: †Belodon
von Meyer, 1844
Type species
†Belodon plieningeri
von Meyer, 1844
Other species
  • Belodon lepturus Cope, 1870
  • Belodon scolopax Cope, 1881
  • Belodon validus Marsh, 1893
Synonyms
An outdated reconstruction of Belodon and Aetosaurus. The skull of Belodon is based on Nicrosaurus kapffi, and the carapace on Paratypothorax

Belodon (meaning "arrow tooth") is a genus of phytosaur, a crocodile-like reptile that lived during the Triassic. Its fossils have been found in Europe and elsewhere. The type species, Belodon plieningeri, was named by prolific German paleontologist Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer in 1844.

Many other species were also named, among them Belodon buceros (named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1881),[2] Belodon kapfii (von Meyer, 1861), Belodon lepturus (Cope, 1870),[3] Belodon priscus (originally described as Compsosaurus priscus by Joseph Leidy in 1856),[4] Belodon scolopax (Cope, 1881),[2] and Belodon validus (Othniel Charles Marsh, 1893).[5] Some paleontologists of the late 19th and early 20th century believed Belodon was synonymous with Phytosaurus or Machaeroprosopus.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference fossilworks was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cope, E.D. (1881). "Belodon in New Mexico". American Naturalist 15: 922-923.
  3. ^ Cope, E.D. (1870). "Reptilia of the Triassic Formation of the United States". American Naturalist 4: 562-563.
  4. ^ Leidy, J. (1856). "Notice of some remains of extinct vertebrated animals". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 163-165.
  5. ^ Marsh, O.C. (1893). "Restoration of Anchisaurus". The American Journal of Science. Series 3 45: 169-170.