Archaeothyris
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| iArchaeothyris |
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 Archaeothyris which looked like early reptiles
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| Archaeothyris florensis Reisz, 1972 |
Archaeothyris was an amniote, which lived 320 million years ago, in the Middle Carboniferous Period. It is one of the oldest synapsid known. It was found in Nova Scotia, the same locality as Hylonomus, Petrolacosaurus, which they resemble, and many other early sauropsids. Unlike the Hylonomus and its kin, Archaeothyris was larger (50 cm, head to tail) and may have also eaten them. Also, Archaeothyris was more advanced than the early sauropsids, its jaws were strong, and it can open wide. Archaeothyris is the precursor of all synapsids including mammals.
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[edit] Lifestyle
Archaeothyris lived in Nova Scotia, 320 million years ago. Nova Scotia a this time was a swamp, similar to that to today's Everglades in Florida. The trees were very large, some up to 165 feet tall. Archaeothyris and other early amniotes dwelled on the forest ground. Archaeothyris, like many other early amniotes, probably fell to a pit of a tree stump leaving Archaeothyris starving to death.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Transitional Vertebrate Fossils - includes description of important transitional genera from reptile to mammal (includes a little information about Archaeothyris)
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