Pelorocephalus
Name:
Pelorocephalus.
Phonetic: Pel-o-roe-sef-a-lus.
Named By: Cabrera - 1944.
Synonyms: Chigutisaurus.
Classification: Chordata, Amphibia,
Temnospondyli, Stereospondyli, Chigutisauridae.
Species: P. mendozensis, P.
cacheutensis, P. ischigualastensis, P. tenax.
Diet: Carnivore/Piscivore.
Size: About 1 meter long.
Known locations: Argentina.
Time period: Carnian of the Triassic.
Fossil representation: Many individuals.
Pelorocephalus
lived towards the end of the Triassic, a time just before the
temnospondyl amphibians declined to be only a small portion of their
former selves. Pelorocephalus was typical of the
temnospondyl body
type, resembling a large heavily built salamander-like creature that
in the instance of Pelorocephalus grew to around
one meter long,
though there is some variance between the species. With the land
dominated by reptiles such as archosaurs, rausuchians and even very
primitive dinosaurs, Pelorocephalus would have
been restricted to
hunting in the water where these other predators could not venture into.
As
a member of the Chigutisauridae, Pelorocephalus
is considered to be
more closely related to genera such as Compsocerops,
Keratobrachyops, Koolasuchus,
Kuttycephalus and Siderops.
Some
genera that are closely related to Pelorocephalus were some of the last
temnospondyl amphibians known to have survived, with Siderops
living
in the Jurassic and Koolasuchus living in the
Cretaceous.
Further reading
- Redescription of the skull of the holotype of Pelorocephalus
mendozensis Cabrera, 1944 (Amphibia, Temnospondyli)
Triassic of
Cerro Bayo, Province of Mendoza - C. A. Marsicano - 1990.
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