Karaurus

Kah-row-rus.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Karaurus ‭(‬head tail‭)‬.

Phonetic

Kah-row-rus.

Named By

M.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Ivachnenko‭ ‬-‭ ‬1978.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Amphibia,‭ ‬Caudata,‭ ‬Karauridae.

Diet

Insectivore.

Species

K.‭ ‬sharovi‭

Size

About‭ ‬20‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

‭Russian Federation.

Time Period

Kimmeridgian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Complete individual.

In Depth

       Karaurus has been hailed as one of the earliest known true salamanders to appear.‭ ‬This is based upon the striking similarity of the Karaurus holotype to modern forms,‭ ‬and it is quite likely that Karaurus lived in a similar manner hunting for small invertebrates in the water.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Urodelans from the Triassic and Jurassic of Soviet Central Asia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Paleontological Journal,‭ ‬vol‭ ‬12,‭ ‬no‭ ‬3,‭ ‬p362-368.‭ ‬-‭ ‬M.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Ivachnenko‭ ‬-‭ ‬1978.

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