Belodon

Bel-o-don.
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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

Belodon (arrow tooth).

Phonetic

Bel-o-don.

Named By

Christian von Meyer‭ ‬-‭ ‬1844.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Archosauromorpha,‭ ‬Crurotarsi,‭ ‬Phytosauria,‭

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

B.‭ ‬plieningeri‭

Size

About‭ ‬3‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Germany‭ ‬-‭ ‬Trossingen Formation,‭ ‬and USA.

Time Period

Rhaetian of the Triassic.

Fossil representation

Partial remains.

In Depth

       Belodon is an often quoted yet surprisingly obscure genus of phytosaurs.‭ ‬The phytosaurs were physically and presumably ecologically similar to crocodiles,‭ ‬and Belodon seems to have grown to a size approaching smaller crocodiles that we know today.‭ ‬However,‭ ‬not all are convinced about the validity of Belodon,‭ ‬with some palaeontologists regarding it as a dubious genus.‭ ‬Indeed,‭ ‬the number of attributed species of Belodon can vary greatly among different authors,‭ ‬so for clarity only the type species is listed here.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Reptilia of the Triassic Formation of the United States‭ ‬-‭ ‬E.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Cope‭ ‬-‭ ‬1870. -‭ ‬Belodon in New Mexico‭ ‬-‭ ‬E.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Cope‭ ‬-‭ ‬1881.

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