Prehistoric Synapsids Codexery

Edaphosaurus

Early herbivorous synapsid with a distinctive sail and tooth plates.

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Edaphosaurus

DinoTeam · CC BY-SA 3.0

Edaphosaurus is a genus of extinct synapsids that lived in North America and Europe from the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian, about 303.4 to 272.5 million years ago.[1] The name is often inaccurately translated as "earth lizard" or "ground lizard" based on other meanings of edaphos.[2] Edward Drinker Cope, an American paleontologist, originally coined the name Edaphosaurus in 1882, deriving it from the Greek terms edaphos ("ground" or "pavement") and sauros ("lizard") to highlight the "dental pavement" present on both its upper and lower jaws.[3]

Boston Edaphosaurus
Boston Edaphosaurus. Image: Waqas Bhatti from Baltimore, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. CladeSynapsida
  4. Family†Edaphosauridae
  5. Genus†Edaphosaurus

Named by Cope, 1882

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Edaphosaurus (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Quick Facts

Type species
Edaphosaurus pogonias

Facts from the source article.

What the cited sources add

The Palaeos account describes Edaphosaurus as a heavy, slow herbivore with a skull remarkably small compared to its body size.[8] The Palaeos account notes that Edaphosaurus species range from about half a meter to over three meters long, with the largest species having modified cervical and anterior thoracic spines into massive club-like processes.[8] The Palaeos account states that wear on inner surfaces of outwardly-bent maxillary teeth supports the argument that Edaphosaurus was capable of propalinal jaw movement.[8] The Palaeos account estimates a 2.5 m Edaphosaurus boanerges at 93 kg with a sail less than 4% of mass but 40% of area.[8]

Edaphosaurus-Field Museum
Edaphosaurus-Field Museum. Image: Jonathan Chen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Palaeos account notes that Edaphosaurus evolved from a small insectivorous form like Ianthasaurus.[8]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Edaphosaurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Paleobiology Database: Edaphosaurus Cope 1882 (synapsid)", Fossilworks (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Edaphosaurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Miller, S. A. (1889). North American Geology and Palaeontology for the Use of Amateurs, Students, and Scientists. Western Methodist Book Concern, Cincinnati. 71 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Edaphosaurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cope, "Third contribution to the History of the Vertebrata of the Permian Formation of Texas", Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 1882, p. 447–474; An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1889. "ἔδαφος [edaphos]... 2. The ground-floor, pavement..." (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Edaphosaurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cope, "The long-spined Theromorpha of the Permian epoch", American Naturalist, 1886, p. 544–545 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Edaphosaurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Case, "Revision of the Pelycosauria of North America", Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1907, p. 1–176; Williston, "A Description of Edaphosaurus Cope", Permo-Carboniferous Vertebrates from New Mexico. Carnegie Institution of Washington Geological Society of America Special Paper, 1913, p. 71–81 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Edaphosaurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Romer, "Review of the Pelycosauria", Geological Society of America Special Paper, 1940, p. 1–538; Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. Springfield, MA: C. & G. Merriam Co., 1913. Boanerges. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Edaphosaurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cope, "Third contribution to the History of the Vertebrata of the Permian Formation of Texas", Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 1882, p. 447–474 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "Edaphosaurus", Palaeos. facts only, no text reused. palaeos.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Edaphosaurus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Named in this entry

HerbivoreNew Mexico

Also in the Codexery

Edaphosaurus · Ancient Reptiles

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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