Casineria

Cass-in-eh-ree-ah.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Casineria (Cheese Bay).

Phonetic

Cass-in-eh-ree-ah.

Named By

R.L. Paton, T.R. Smithson, and J.A. Clack - 1999.

Classification

Chordata, Tetrapoda.

Diet

Carnivore/Insectivore.

Species

C. Kiddi

Size

15 centimeters long.

Known locations

Scotland, Cheese Bay.

Time Period

Vis�an of the Carboniferous.

Fossil representation

Skull and tail are missing. Rest of skeleton almost complete.

In Depth

       Analysis of the location of the find suggests that Casineria lived in a dry environment and was quite possibly one of the first amniotes, laying eggs on dry land as opposed to having to return to the water for spawning. Because Casineria had claws, it would already have the genetic requirement to form scales and in life may have represented a small lizard. Its small size would have made it ideal for hunting the invertebrates of the carboniferous.

Further Reading

– An amniote-like skeleton from the Early Carboniferous of Scotland. – Nature. 398 (6727): 508–513. – R. L. Paton, T. R. Smithson & J. A. Clack – 1999.

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