Crassigirinus

Crassigirinus ( lat. Crassigyrinus scoticus ) - a primitive four-legged (" amphibian ") beginning of the Carboniferous era .

† Crassigirinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animals Type of: Chordate Grade: Amphibia Squad: unknown Family: is unknown Gender: Crassigirinus View: Crassigirinus scottish
Latin name
Crassigyrinus

The systematic position of Crassigirinus is unclear, it does not apply to dark spondylae, it may refer to Anthracosaurs , but it has features of both.

Crassigirinus has a high skull with a short muzzle. The orbits are quadrangular, extended upward, directed to the side. The surface of the bones of the skull is abundantly sculpted (it has been suggested that the skull could be covered with skin outgrowths for masking). There is a movable joint between the cheeks and the roof of the skull (as in anthracosaurs). There is an “ear notch” that holds the splatter. The palate is primitive, like ripidistii. Very powerful teeth on the palate.

On the front surface of the skull, between the premaxillary bones, there is a pear-shaped hole connected with the anterior palatine window. At one time, it was assumed that below the nostrils there was an opening for a sensitive tentacle (like worms ), but now it is proved that this is a mistake. On the lower jaw there are large openings into which, with a closed mouth, the ends of the palate fangs entered.

The skeleton is weak, the body is long, the forelimbs are extremely small (the length of the shoulder is less than the diameter of the orbit), the hind limbs are longer than the forelimbs. The number of fingers is not known exactly. The length reached 1.5-2 meters. Undoubtedly, crassigirinus was a predator, one of the most powerful predators of its era. He lived in swamps and overgrown shallow reservoirs, waiting for prey in troubled waters. Despite its primitiveness, it is a secondary water animal.

Crassigyrinus scoticus

Crassigirinus was described by fragments of the jaws of D. Watson in 1929 , and its first remains were discovered back in the 19th century. All remnants come from the Early Carboniferous (Visean) of Scotland. A modern description is made in the 1980-1990s. Now he has become quite popular - for example, in the series " Prehistoric Park " Nigel Marven catches crassigirinus with his bare hands.