Clade Synapsida (?) Phylum Chordata | Clade Amniota Scientific name Protoclepsydrops haplous Rank Species | |
Genus †ProtoclepsydropsCarroll, 1964 Similar Stereorhachis, Archaeothyris, Phreatophasma, Ianthodon, Euromycter | ||
Protoclepsydrops was an early amniote, found in Joggins, Nova Scotia.
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Description
Like Archaeothyris, Protoclepsydrops resembled modern lizards. However, Protoclepsydrops still had primitive vertebrae with tiny neural processes typical of the amniotes' amphibian ancestors.
Classification
Its skeletal remains indicate that it may have been more closely related to synapsids than to sauropsids, making it a possible synapsid member. If so, it is the oldest synapsid known, though its status is unconfirmed because its remains were fragmentary. Protoclepsydrops lived slightly earlier than Archaeothyris.
References
Protoclepsydrops Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA