Martensius
Name:
Martensius
(named after Thomas Martens).
Phonetic: Mar-ten-se-us.
Named By: D. S. Berman, H. C. Maddin,
A. C. Henrici, S. S. Sumida, D. Scott & R.
R. Reisz - 2020.
Classification: Chordata, Synapsida,
Caseasauria, Caseidae.
Species: M. bromackerensis
(type).
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: Roughly estimated about 73 centimetres
long.
Known locations: Germany, Bromacker quarry -
Tambach formation.
Time period: Early Permian.
Fossil representation: Partially preserved and
articulated skeletons of at least four individuals.
Martensius
is a genus of primitive caseidid synapsid that lived in Europe during
the early Permian. Martensius is known from both
adult and juvenile
specimens, and these show a development in changing dietary habits as
individual Martensius as they grew older. The
teeth of Martensius are
triangular like those of earlier more primitive relatives that were
more insectivorous. But younger Martensius had
more teeth in their
lower jaw than adults, at least thirty-one to the adult twenty-five
teeth. This would make the teeth dentition of juvenile Martensius
more similarly to the genus Eocasea,
a genus which is seen as more
insectivorous than herbivorous. This has led to speculation that
earlier in life Martensius were more carnivorous,
perhaps requiring
the extra protein from eating insects to promote body growth. Then in
later life Martensius may have become more
herbivorous, perhaps
switching to a fully plant based diet.
Further reading
- New primitive caseid (Synapsida, Caseasauria) from the early
Permian of Germany. - Annals of Carnegie Museum 86(1):43-75.
- D. S. Berman, H. C. Maddin, A. C. Henrici, S.
S. Sumida, D. Scott & R. R. Reisz - 2020.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Random favourites
 |
 |
 |
 |