Ctenospondylus
Name:
Ctenospondylus
(Comb vertebrae).
Phonetic: Sten-oh-spon-de-lus.
Named By: A. S. Romer - 1936.
Classification: Chordata, Synapsida,
Sphenacodontidae.
Species: C. casei (type), C.
ninevehensis.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: About 3 meters long.
Known locations: USA, Ohio - Greene
Formation, Texas - Belle Plains Formation, and Utah -
Cutler Formation.
Time period: Sakimarian to Roadian of the Permian.
Fossil representation: Remains of several
individuals.
Ctenospondylus
was one of the larger sail-backed synapsids. So far
only known from the central
united states it is
probable though thatCtenospondylus
had a wider distribution, at least
in North America,
though the lack of known fossil bearing rock formations from the
Permian is limited to just a few areas.
Ctenospondylus
is classed as a sphenacodontid, a member of the Sphenacodontidae
which is a group typified by the type genus Sphenacodon,
though this
genus seems to lack a sail. At up to three meters long,
Ctenospondylus would have been amongst the larger
predators of their
ecosystem, and may have hunted other smaller synapsids,
especially herbivorous ones such as caseiids like Casea.
However
even Ctenospondylus was dwarfed by some pelycosaur
herbivores, such
as the caseiid Cotylorhynchus.
Like
with other sail-backed pelycosaurs, the sail on the back of
Ctenospondylus is believed to have been primarily
for thermoregulation
of body temperature, though it may have additionally served a display
purpose so that individuals of Ctenospondylus could
identify one
another from other kinds of sail-backed synapsids. Examples of
these include the famous Dimetrodon,
Secodontosaurus,
and
Edaphosaurus,
which are also known to have been around and active in
the same locations at the same times as Ctenospondylus.
At
the time of writing the type species of Ctenospondylus,
C. casei,
is known from Texas and Utah, while the second species C.
ninevehensis is known from Ohio.
Ctenospondylus, Dimetrodon, Edaphosaurus, Ianthasaurus, Secodontosaurus.
Further reading
- Studies on American Permo-Carboniferous reptiles. - Problems of
Paleontology 1:85-93 - A. S. Romer - 1936.
- Global Permian tetrapod biostratigraphy and biochronology In S.
G. Lucas, G. Cassinis & J. W. Schneider -
Non-Marine Permian Biostratigraphy and Biochronology. Special
Publications 265. London: Geological Society. pp. 65–93
- S. G. Lucas - 2006.
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