Megalocephalus
| Megalocephalus Temporal range: Late Carboniferous
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| Skull of M. sp | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Tetrapodomorpha |
| Family: | †Baphetidae |
| Subfamily: | †Loxommatinae |
| Genus: | †Megalocephalus Barkas, 1873 |
| Type species | |
| †Megalocephalus pachycephalus Barkas, 1873
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Megalocephalus (meaning "big head") is an extinct genus of baphetid amphibian from the late Carboniferous of the British Isles.[3] It contains two species, M. pachycephalus and M. lineolatus.[2]
Description
Megalocephalus was a small amphibian, measuring 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) from head to tail.[3]
Skull
It is only known from its skull, like most other baphetids. The skull of Megalocephalus was 30 centimetres (12 in) long. The teeth of Megalocephalus were long and pointed. Baphetids had a small elongation of their eye sockets, of which the current use for is not certain. It has been suggested that the elongation was housing for a salt gland to get rid of excess salt, or an extra region for jaw muscle attachments, to allow a harder bite force.[3]
References
External links
- Megalocephalus at the Paleobiology Database
- A new baphetid (stem tetrapod) from the Upper Carboniferous of Tyne and Wear, U.K., and the evolution of the tetrapod occiput. By J.A. Clack
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