Tupilakosauridae Temporal range: Early Permian - Early Triassic,
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Tupilakosaurus | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Order: | †Temnospondyli |
Suborder: | †Dvinosauria |
Superfamily: | †Dvinosauroidea |
Family: | †Tupilakosauridae Kuhn, 1960 |
Genera | |
Tupilakosauridae is an extinct family of dvinosaurian temnospondyls. It contains the genera Slaugenhopia, Thabanchuia, Tupilakosaurus, and possibly Kourerpeton.[1] Tupilakosaurs are known from Texas, Greenland, Russia, and France.[1][2] The earliest tupilakosaur, Slaugenhopia, is Early Permian in age while the latest known tupilakosaurs are Early Triassic in age. Derived tupilakosaurs possess embolomerous centra in their vertebrae, which are diplospondylous.[2] They also have a deep notch in the pterygoid bone of the palate.[1] Tupilakosaurs were aquatic, and used an undulatory mode of swimming much like that of eels.[2]