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Melanosaurus maximus

Reptilia - Anguidae

Taxonomy
Melanosaurus maximus was named by Gilmore (1928). Its type specimen is AMNH 5168 (greater portion of a crushed skull and lower jaws, parts of 2 vertebrae, numerous dermal scutes, many fragments) and is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is 5 miles SE of mouth of Pat O'Harra Creek, which is in a Wasatchian terrestrial horizon in the Willwood Formation of Wyoming. It is the type species of Melanosaurus.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1928Melanosaurus maximus Gilmore p. 138 figs. 86-87; Pl. 15:2, Pl. 23-24
1930Melanosaurus maximus Hay p. 255

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
RankNameAuthor
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
—Squamata()
—Anguimorpha(Fürbringer 1900)
—Anguiformes(Bonaparte 1831)
superfamilyAnguioideaFitzinger 1826
familyAnguidaeGray 1825
subfamilyGlyptosaurinaeMarsh 1872
genusMelanosaurus
speciesmaximus

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Melanosaurus maximus Gilmore 1928
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Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubf
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: ground dwellingsubf
Diet: insectivoref
Diet 2: carnivoref
Created: 2005-09-23 14:40:23
Modified: 2005-09-23 16:40:23
Source: subf = subfamily, f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988, Behler and King 1979, Head 2005

Age range: base of the Wasatchian to the top of the Clarkforkian or 55.80000 to 54.90000 Ma

Collections (28 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Clarkforkian56.2 - 54.9USA (Wyoming) Melanosaurus maximus (15082 15089 15103 15104 15109 15122 15151 15152 15156 15171 15174 15189 15209)
Wasatchian55.8 - 50.3USA (Wyoming) Melanosaurus maximus (15759 15760 15761 15771 15780 15793 15830 15831 15833 15834 85438 179977 type locality: 180118 180119)
Early/Lower Eocene55.8 - 48.6USA (Wyoming) Melanosaurus maximus (27350)