Tematica Animali preistorici

Crassigyrinus scoticus Watson, 1926

Phylum: Chordata Haeckel, 1874

Subphylum: Vertebrata Cuvier, 1812

Classe: Amphibia Linnaeus, 1758

Ordine: Ichthyostegalia Säve-Söderbergh, 1932

Famiglia: Crassigyrinidae von Huene, 1948

Genere: Crassigyrinus Watson, 1929

Descrizione

Sebbene lungo 2 metri, questo animale era certo ancora imparentato molto strettamente coi primi pesci che strisciarono sulla terra: grosso cranio, arti ridotti e quasi inutilizzabili, era munito di un cinto pelvico poco formato e un incavo che faceva parte di un ormai atrofizzato spiracolo, un'apertura associata alle branchie.

Diffusione

Era un insolito anfibio (o secondo alcuni un reptiliomorfo) che visse in Scozia durante il Carbonifero, 350 milioni di anni fa. Si cibava di pesci e altri vertebrati.

Bibliografia

–Godfrey, S. J. 1988. Isolated tetrapod remains from the Carboniferous of West Virginia. Kirtlandia 43, 27-36.
–Chapter on Crassigyrinus from Gaining ground: the origin and evolution of tetrapods, by Jennifer A. Clack, Indiana University Press 2002, from Google Books.
–Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 51.
–Benton, 2005. Vertebrate Palaeontology 3rd edition. Blackwell Publishing.
–Panchen, A. L. 1985. On the amphibian Crassigyrinus scoticus Watson from the Carboniferous of Scotland. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 309, 505-568.
–Panchen, A. L. 1991. The early tetrapods: classification and the shapes of cladograms. In Schultze, H.-P. & Trueb, L. (eds) Origins of the Higher Groups of Tetrapods, Controversy and Consensus. Comstock/Cornell University Press (Ithaca and London), pp. 110-144.
–Caldwell, Michael W (2003-04-01). ""Without a leg to stand on": on the evolution and development of axial elongation and limblessness in tetrapods". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 40 (4): 573-588.
–Lennie, Kendra I.; Mansky, Chris F.; Anderson, Jason S. (2020-10-13). "New Crassigyrinus-like fibula from the Tournaisian (earliest Carboniferous) of Nova Scotia". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 57 (11): 1365-1369.
–Herbst, Eva C.; Doube, Michael; Smithson, Timothy R.; Clack, Jennifer A.; Hutchinson, John R. (September 2019). "Bony lesions in early tetrapods and the evolution of mineralized tissue repair". Paleobiology. 45 (4): 676-697.
–Porro, Laura B.; Rayfield, Emily J.; Clack, Jennifer A. (2023-05-02). "Computed tomography and three-dimensional reconstruction of the skull of the stem tetrapod Crassigyrinus scoticus Watson, 1929". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

	Data: 01/06/1999 Emissione: Animali preistorici Stato: Nicaragua Nota: Emesso in un foglietto di 6 v. diversi