Tseajaia

See-hy-ah.
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

Tseajaia ‭(‬Rock heart‭)‬.

Phonetic

See-hy-ah.

Named By

P.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬Vaughn‭ ‬-‭ ‬1964‭ ‬-‭ ‬1964.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptiliomorpha,‭ ‬Diadectomorpha,‭ ‬Tseajaiidae.

Diet

Uncertain,‭ ‬possibly an omnivore or herbivore.

Species

T.‭ ‬campi‭

Size

About‭ ‬90‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

USA,‭ ‬Utah‭ ‬-‭ ‬Cutler Formation.

Time Period

Sakmarian to the Roadian of the Permian.

Fossil representation

Single individual.

In Depth

       An otherwise unassuming little reptilomorph,‭ ‬the presence of Tseajaia in the earlier half of the Permian period is at least proof that some reptilomorphs made it this far in Earth’s history.‭ ‬The teeth of Tseajaia are notably blunt which has led to the idea that Tseajaia may have been slightly if not exclusively herbivorous.‭ ‬This is not that unusual as even though some reptilomorphs like Seymouria were carnivorous,‭ ‬others like Diadectes were herbivorous.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Vertebrates from the Organ Rock Shale of the Cutler Group,‭ ‬Permian of Monument Valley and Vicinity,‭ ‬Utah and Arizona.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Paleontology,‭ ‬v.‭ ‬38,‭ ‬n.‭ ‬3,‭ ‬p.‭ ‬567-583.-‭ ‬P.‭ ‬P.‭ ‬Vaughn‭ ‬-‭ ‬1964. -‭ ‬The morphology and phylogenetic relationships of the Lower Permian tetrapod Tseajaia campi Vaughn‭ (‬Amphibia:‭ ‬Seymouriamorpha‭)‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬University of California Publications in Geological Sciences,‭ ‬vol‭ ‬98,‭ ‬pp‭ ‬1-72.‭ ‬-‭ ‬J.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Moss‭ ‬-‭ ‬1972.

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