Phreatophasma

Frayt-o-fas-mah.
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

Phreatophasma.

Phonetic

Frayt-o-fas-mah.

Named By

Efremov‭ ‬-‭ ‬1954.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Synapsida‭?

Diet

Unknown.

Species

P.‭ ‬aenigmaticum‭

Size

Unknown.

Known locations

Russia.

Time Period

Roadian of the Permian.

Fossil representation

Single femur.

In Depth

       Because Phreatophasma is known only from a single femur‭ (‬upper leg bone‭)‬,‭ ‬there is great uncertainty about what kind of animal Phreatophasma actually was,‭ ‬with suggestions ranging from it being a pelycosaur to parareptile.‭ ‬Most researchers consider Phreatophasma to be a nomen dubium.

Further Reading

– A re-examination of the enigmatic Russian tetrapod Phreatophasma aenigmaticum and its evolutionary implications. – Fossil Record. 20: 87–93. – N. Brocklehurst & J. Frobisch – 2017.

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