Apachesaurus

Ah-pah-chee-sore-us.
Published on

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

Apachesaurus ‭(‬Apache lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ah-pah-chee-sore-us.

Named By

A.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬Hunt‭ ‬-‭ ‬1993.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Amphibia,‭ ‬Temnospondyli,‭ ‬Stereospondyli,‭ ‬Metoposauridae.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬gregorii‭

Size

Around‭ ‬43‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

USA,‭ ‬including Arizona‭ ‬-‭ ‬Chinle Formation,‭ ‬New Mexico‭ ‬-‭ ‬Bluewater Creek Formation,‭ ‬Bull Canyon Formation,‭ ‬Redonda Formation,‭ ‬Santa Rosa Formation,‭ ‬Sloan Canyon Formation,‭ ‬and Texas‭ ‬-‭ ‬Cooper Canyon Formation.

Time Period

Carnian to Rhaetian of the Triassic.

Fossil representation

Multiple individuals.

In Depth

       Apachesaurus was a member of the Metoposauridae group of temnospondyl amphibians,‭ ‬though one that was particularly small.‭ ‬The larger close relatives of Apachesaurus include Metoposaurus and Koskinonodon which could grow up to two and a half to three meters long.‭ ‬Apachesaurus however grew only to around just over forty centimetres long.

       Due to the smaller size,‭ ‬Apachesaurus were probably predators of smaller aquatic organisms.‭ ‬Like other related genera,‭ ‬the eyes were placed further forward on the skull that those of other temnospondyl amphibians.‭ ‬Fossils of Apachesaurus are particularly well known from the states of Arizona and New Mexico where individuals have been found in concentrations.‭ ‬This seems to be a recurring theme that Apachesaurus shares with its relative genera,‭ ‬and the explanation is that metoposaurids were not very good at walking on land,‭ ‬so when pools of water and rivers dried out,‭ ‬they were left exposed to the air where they too dried out and died from lack of water.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Revision of the Metoposauridae‭ (‬Amphibia:‭ ‬Temnospondyli‭) ‬and description of a new genus from Western North America‭ ‬-‭ ‬A.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬Hunt‭ ‬-‭ ‬1993. -‭ ‬Late Triassic‭ (‬Carnian and Norian‭) ‬tetrapods from the southwestern United States‭ ‬-‭ ‬R.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Long‭ & ‬P.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Murry‭ ‬-‭ ‬1995.

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