Dissorophus
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Dissorophus Temporal range: Late Carboniferous, 280–273 Ma |
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| Dissorophus multicinctus skeleton | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | †Temnospondyli |
| Family: | †Dissorophidae |
| Subfamily: | †Dissorophinae |
| Genus: | †Dissorophus |
| Type species | |
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Dissorophus multicinctus Cope, 1895 |
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Dissorophus (DI-soh-ROH-fus) is an extinct genus of the early temnospondyl amphibian families that flourished in the Late Carboniferous to the Late Permian, 273 million years ago. Most recent discovery of the Dissorophus species is D. multicinctus. Their remains have been found in the Northern and Central Texas, and distinguished from other members of its clade by its small body size, disproportionately large head and short trunk. Dermal ossification in the sacral region and skull suggests that D. multicinctus are among the non-amniotes that were successful on land.
The name dissorphus was used by Edward Drinker Cope to describe the first dissorophid, Dissorophus multicinctus. He did not formulate a standing definition as of this name, however, upon examination, he commented that it was “a veritable bratrachian armadillo” which translates to looking like an amphibian armadillo. On the same context,DeMar [3] mentions that Boulenger's interpretation on dissorophus is “remarkable for an extraordinary exo- and endo-skeletal carapace", thus the name dissorophus is inferred to do the most prominent feature of dissorphus multicinctus, a double layered armor.
Discovery of dissorophid material was made possible with collected specimens since 1930s by the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College and the University of Chicago. Williston, Case and Romer, each assessed different specimens and the general concept of the family still stays the same. Williston (1914) divides the family into two sub families; Aspodosaurinae and Dissorophinae. This separation was based on Aspodosaurinae having an open otic notch and single layered armor (one armor segment per vertebral segment), and Dissorophinae having a closed otic notch and double layered armor (two armor segments per vertebral segment).
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