Extinct genus of therapsid from the early Triassic
Ericiolacerta
Temporal range: Early Triassic ~251–249 Ma
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
↓
Ericiolacerta parva
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Synapsida
Clade:
Therapsida
Clade:
†Therocephalia
Family:
†Ericiolacertidae
Genus:
†Ericiolacerta Watson, 1931
Species:
†E. parva
Binomial name
†Ericiolacerta parva
Watson, 1931
Ericiolacerta
Ericiolacerta is an extinct genus of small therocephalian therapsids from the early Triassic of South Africa and Antarctica.[1][2]Ericiolacerta, meaning "hedgehog lizard" (from the Latin ericius, "hedgehon" and lacerta, "lizard"),[3] was named by D.M.S. Watson in 1931.[1] The species E. parva is known from the holotype specimen which consists of a nearly complete skeleton found in the Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone within the Katberg Formation of the Beaufort Group in South Africa,[1][3] and from a partial jaw found in the Lower Triassic Fremouw Formation in Antarctica.[2]Ericiolacerta was around 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length, with long limbs and relatively small teeth.[1] It probably ate insects and other small invertebrates. The therocephalians – therapsids with mammal-like heads – were abundant in Permian times, but only a few made it into the Triassic. Ericiolacerta was one of those. It is possible that they gave rise to the cynodonts, the only therapsid group to survive into post-Triassic times. Cynodonts gave rise to mammals.
^ abcdWatson, D.M.S. (1931). "On the skeleton of a bauriamorph reptile". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 101 (3): 1163–1205. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1931.tb01056.x.
^ abColbert, Edwin H.; Kitching, James W. (1981). "Scaloposaurian reptiles from the Triassic of Antarctica". American Museum Novitates (2709): 1–22.
^ ab"Ericiolacerta". Paleofile. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
Ericiolacerta is an extinct genus of small therocephalian therapsids from the early Triassic of South Africa and Antarctica. Ericiolacerta, meaning "hedgehog...
It is a member of the family Ericiolacertidae, along with the genus Ericiolacerta from South Africa and Antarctica. The type species Silphedosuchus orenburgensis...
formation located in Free State, South Africa. It is where the fossils of Ericiolacerta, a subtaxa of Ericiolacertidae, were found. Among others, these fossils...
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