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Information about Placodont

Placodonts
Fossil range: Triassic
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Placodus, Cyamodus, Paraplacodus

Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Sauropsida
Superorder:Sauropterygia
Order:Placodontia
Cope, 1871
Families


Placodonts ("Tablet teeth") were a group of marine reptiles that lived during the Triassic period, becoming extinct at the end of the period. It is believed that they were related to the Sauropterygia, the group that includes Plesiosaurs. Placodonts were generally between one to two metres in length, with some of the largest measuring three metres long.

In appearance, many resembled stout- or barrel-bodied newts, or lizard, while others looked more turtle-like due to large bony plates on their backs. They had short limbs and were highly robust.

Because of their dense bone and heavy armour plating, these creatures would have been too heavy to float in the ocean and would have used a lot of energy to reach the water surface. For this reason and because of the type of sediment found accompanying fossils it is suggested they lived in shallow waters and not in deep oceans.

Their diet consisted of marine bivalves, brachiopods, and other invertebrates. They were notable for their large, flat, often protruding teeth which they used to crush molluscs and brachiopods, which they hunted on the sea bed (another way in which they were similar to walruses). The Palate teeth were extremely thick and large enough to crush thick shell.

The first specimen was discovered in 1830, and they have since been discovered throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Classification

External links

The Triassic is a geologic period that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago). As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events.
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Placodus
Agazzis, 1833

Species
  • P. gigas (type)
  • P. nostratus


Placodus was a genus of 2.5 metre (6.
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Cyamodontidae

Genus: Cyamodus
Meyer, 1863

Species
  • C. rostratus (Münster, 1839) (type)
  • C. munsteri (Agassiz, 1833-45)
  • C. tarnowitzensis Gürich, 1884
  • C.

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Paraplacodus

Species: P. broilli

Paraplacodus was a Placodont from the middle Triassic period, during the Anisian to Ladinian stages.
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Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
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Chordata
Bateson, 1885

Typical Classes

See below

Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates.
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Sauropsida*
Goodrich, 1916

Subclasses
  • Anapsida
  • Diapsida
Synonyms
  • Reptilia Laurenti, 1768
Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class
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Sauropterygia
Owen, 1860

Orders
  • ?Thalattosauriformes
  • Placodontia
  • Nothosauroidea
  • Plesiosauria
Sauropterygia ("lizard flippers") is a group of very successful aquatic reptiles that flourished during the Age of the Dinosaurs
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Edward Drinker Cope (July 28, 1840–April 12, 1897) was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist.

Cope was born in Philadelphia to Quaker parents.
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Paraplacodus

Species: P. broilli

Paraplacodus was a Placodont from the middle Triassic period, during the Anisian to Ladinian stages.
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Placodus
Agazzis, 1833

Species
  • P. gigas (type)
  • P. nostratus


Placodus was a genus of 2.5 metre (6.
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Henodontidae
von Huene, 1936

Genus: Henodus

Binomial name
Henodus chelyops
von Huene, 1936

Henodus chelyops
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Cyamodontidae

Genus: Cyamodus
Meyer, 1863

Species
  • C. rostratus (Münster, 1839) (type)
  • C. munsteri (Agassiz, 1833-45)
  • C. tarnowitzensis Gürich, 1884
  • C.

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tablet is a mixture of active substances and excipients, usually in powder form, pressed or compacted into a solid. The excipients include binders, glidants (flow aids) and lubricants to ensure efficient tabletting; disintegrants to ensure that the tablet breaks up in the digestive
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Teeth (singular, tooth) are structures found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates that are used to tear, scrape, and chew food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or defense. The roots of teeth are covered by gums.
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Sauropsida*
Goodrich, 1916

Subclasses
  • Anapsida
  • Diapsida
Synonyms
  • Reptilia Laurenti, 1768
Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class
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The Triassic is a geologic period that extends from about 251 to 199 Ma (million years ago). As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events.
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Sauropterygia
Owen, 1860

Orders
  • ?Thalattosauriformes
  • Placodontia
  • Nothosauroidea
  • Plesiosauria
Sauropterygia ("lizard flippers") is a group of very successful aquatic reptiles that flourished during the Age of the Dinosaurs
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Plesiosauroidea
Gray, 1825

Families

Cimoliasauridae
Cryptoclididae
Elasmosauridae
Plesiosauridae
Polycotylidae

Plesiosaurs (IPA /ˈplisɪəˌsɔɹ/
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Testudines
Linnaeus, 1758

Diversity
ca. 300 species in 14 extant families.

blue: sea turtles, black: land turtles


Suborders

Cryptodira
Pleurodira
See text for families.
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Bivalvia
Linnaeus, 1758

Subclasses

Anomalosdesmata
Cryptodonta
Heterodonta
Paleoheterodonta
Palaeotaxodonta
Pteriomorphia
and see text
Bivalves are mollusks belonging to the class Bivalvia.
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Brachiopoda
Duméril, 1806

Diversity
About 4000 genera

Subphyla and classes
See Classification

Brachiopods (from Latin bracchium, arm + New Latin -poda, foot) are a nearly extinct, small phylum of benthic invertebrates.
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Teeth (singular, tooth) are structures found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates that are used to tear, scrape, and chew food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or defense. The roots of teeth are covered by gums.
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Mollusca
Linnaeus, 1758

Classes

Caudofoveata
Aplacophora
Polyplacophora
Monoplacophora
Bivalvia
Scaphopoda
Gastropoda
Cephalopoda
† Rostroconchia
† Helcionelloida
† ?Bellerophontida
The molluscs
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Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea,
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Middle East is a historical and political region of Africa-Eurasia with no clear boundaries. The term "Middle East" was popularized around 1900 in Britain, and has been criticized for its loose definition.
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Sauropsida ("lizard-face") is a group of amniotes that includes reptiles, dinosaurs, and birds. Among amniotes, sauropsida is distinguished from theropsida ("beast-face"), also called synapsids.

Taxonomy

Classification to order level, after Benton, 2004.
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Sauropterygia
Owen, 1860

Orders
  • ?Thalattosauriformes
  • Placodontia
  • Nothosauroidea
  • Plesiosauria
Sauropterygia ("lizard flippers") is a group of very successful aquatic reptiles that flourished during the Age of the Dinosaurs
..... Click the link for more information.
Paraplacodus

Species: P. broilli

Paraplacodus was a Placodont from the middle Triassic period, during the Anisian to Ladinian stages.
..... Click the link for more information.


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