Paleothyris
Encyclopedia
Paleothyris was a small, agile, anapsid
reptile
which lived in the Middle Pennsylvanian epoch in Nova Scotia
(approximately 312 to 304 million years ago). Paleothyris had sharp teeth and large eye
s, meaning that it was a nocturnal hunter. It was about a foot long. It probably fed on insect
s and other smaller animals found on the floor of its forest
home. Paleothyris was an early sauropsid, yet it still had some features that were more primitive, more labyrinthodont-like than reptile
-like, especially its skull, which lacked fenestrae, holes found in the skulls of most modern reptiles and mammals.
Anapsid
An anapsid is an amniote whose skull does not have openings near the temples.While "anapsid reptiles" or "anapsida" are traditionally spoken of as if they were a monophyletic group, it has been suggested that several groups of reptiles that had anapsid skulls may be only distantly related...
reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
which lived in the Middle Pennsylvanian epoch in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
(approximately 312 to 304 million years ago). Paleothyris had sharp teeth and large eye
Eye
Eyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
s, meaning that it was a nocturnal hunter. It was about a foot long. It probably fed on insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and other smaller animals found on the floor of its forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
home. Paleothyris was an early sauropsid, yet it still had some features that were more primitive, more labyrinthodont-like than reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
-like, especially its skull, which lacked fenestrae, holes found in the skulls of most modern reptiles and mammals.
See also
- WestlothianaWestlothianaWestlothiana lizziae was a reptile-like amphibian or possibly early reptile that bore a superficial resemblance to modern-day lizards. It lived during the Carboniferous period, about 350 million years ago. The type specimen was discovered in East Kirkton Quarry, Bathgate, Scotland, in 1984, and was...
, from 350 million years ago, either an early amnioteAmnioteThe amniotes are a group of tetrapods that have a terrestrially adapted egg. They include synapsids and sauropsids , as well as their fossil ancestors. Amniote embryos, whether laid as eggs or carried by the female, are protected and aided by several extensive membranes...
or a sister group to the amniotes - CasineriaCasineriaCasineria was a tetrapod which lived 340 million years ago in the Mississippian epoch. Casineria was a small animal with a total length estimated to have been 15 centimeters. It lived in what was then a fairly dry environment in Scotland. It is noted for its mix of primitive and advanced ...
, from 340 million years ago, a basal amnioteAmnioteThe amniotes are a group of tetrapods that have a terrestrially adapted egg. They include synapsids and sauropsids , as well as their fossil ancestors. Amniote embryos, whether laid as eggs or carried by the female, are protected and aided by several extensive membranes...
. - HylonomusHylonomusHylonomus was a very early reptile. It lived 312 million years ago during the Late Carboniferous period.It is the earliest unquestionable reptile ....
, from 312 million years ago, another early anapsidAnapsidAn anapsid is an amniote whose skull does not have openings near the temples.While "anapsid reptiles" or "anapsida" are traditionally spoken of as if they were a monophyletic group, it has been suggested that several groups of reptiles that had anapsid skulls may be only distantly related...
reptileReptileReptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors... - PetrolacosaurusPetrolacosaurusPetrolacosaurus was a small, long, reptile, and the earliest diapsid known. It lived during the late Carboniferous period, the Joggins strata where it was found are dated to 302 million years old....
, from 302 million years ago, the first diapsidDiapsidDiapsids are a group of reptiles that developed two holes in each side of their skulls, about 300 million years ago during the late Carboniferous period. Living diapsids are extremely diverse, and include all crocodiles, lizards, snakes, and tuatara...
reptileReptileReptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors... - ArchaeothyrisArchaeothyrisArchaeothyris was a very early mammal-like reptile, which lived in the late Carboniferous period. Dated to 306 million years ago, it is the oldest undisputed synapsid known....
, from 306 million years ago, an early synapsidSynapsidSynapsids are a group of animals that includes mammals and everything more closely related to mammals than to other living amniotes. They are easily separated from other amniotes by having an opening low in the skull roof behind each eye, leaving a bony arch beneath each, accounting for their name...
(mammal-like reptile) - Carboniferous tetrapodsCarboniferous tetrapodsCarboniferous Tetrapods include amphibians and reptiles that lived during the Carboniferous Period.During this time, amphibians were the predominant tetrapods, and included the Temnospondyli, Lepospondyli, and Reptiliomorpha/Batrachosauria...