Biology:Colognathidae
Colognathidae is an extinct family of enigmatic reptiles. It contains two genera: Colognathus, known from the Late Triassic of the southwestern United States, and the older Quasicolognathus, known from the Middle Triassic of Germany. Both are known from fragmentary remains, mostly comprising tooth-bearing bones of the skull and isolated teeth. The phylogenetic affinities of these taxa have been historically complicated due to their unique anatomy and fragmentary nature; Colognathus was initially described as a unique fish,[1] with later researchers suggesting possible affinities with procolophonids,[2] lepidosauromorphs,[3] and archosauromorphs.[4] A 2022 review indicated that research on the relationships of colognathids was ongoing, but that affinities with osteichthyan fishes, procolophonids, and lepidosauromorphs were not supported.[5]
Colognathids are characterized by having transversely narrow snouts and unique dental anatomy, exhibiting pleurodont/acrodont implantation. There are only two or three large teeth in the maxilla and dentary (upper and lower tooth-bearing bones), leaving the front of the jaw edentulous (toothless). The posteriormost (further to the back) teeth are greatly enlarged.[5]
References
- ↑ Case, E. C. (1928). "Indications of a cotylosaur and of a new form of fish from the Triassic beds of Texas, with remarks on the Shinarump Conglomerate". Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 23 (1): 65. https://archive.org/details/contributions-from-museum-paleontology-university-michigan-3-001-001-014.
- ↑ Murry, Phillip A. (1986). "9. Vertebrate paleontology of the Dockum Group, western Texas and eastern New Mexico". in Padian, Kevin. The Beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs: Faunal change across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 109–137. ISBN 978-0-521-30328-6.
- ↑ Heckert, Andrew (2010). "Biostratigraphic significance and redescription of the enigmatic vertebrate Colognathus obscurus from the Upper Triassic Chinle Group, southwestern USA". Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, 70th Annual Meeting. pp. 103A–104A. https://vertpaleo.org/2010annualmeetingabstracts/.
- ↑ Heckert, Andrew B.; Mitchell, Jonathon S.; Schneider, Vincent P.; Olsen, Paul E.. "Diverse New Microvertebrate Assemblage from the Upper Triassic Cumnock Formation, Sanford Subbasin, North Carolina, USA". Journal of Paleontology 86 (2): 368–390. doi:10.2307/41480198. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261976789_Diverse_New_Microvertebrate_Assemblage_from_the_Upper_Triassic_Cumnock_Formation_Sanford_Subbasin_North_Carolina_USA.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sues, Hans-Dieter; Kligman, Ben T.; Schoch, Rainer R. (2022). "An unusual Colognathus-like reptile from the Middle Triassic (Ladinian) Erfurt Formation of Germany". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen 303 (2): 227–238. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2022/1046.
Template:Sauropsida Wikidata ☰ Q137261235 entry
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