| Hylonomus Fossil range: Early Pennsylvanian (Late Carboniferous) |
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| A possible appearance of Hylonomus lyelli | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukarya |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Superphylum: | Deuterostoma |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Subclass: | Anapsida |
| Order: | Captorhinida |
| Family: | Protorothyrididae |
| Genus: | Hylonomus |
| Species: | H. lyelli |
| Binomial name | |
| Hylonomus lyelli |
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Hylonomus (hylo- "forest" + nomos "wanderer")[1] was a very early reptile. It lived 312 million years ago during the Late Carboniferous period.[2] As of 2006, it is the earliest confirmed reptile (Westlothiana is older, but may in fact be an amphibian).
Hylonomus was 20 centimetres (8 in) long (including the tail) and probably would have looked rather similar to modern lizards. It had small sharp teeth and likely ate small invertebrates such as millipedes or early insects.[3]
Fossils of Hylonomus have been found in the remains of fossilized club moss stumps in Joggins, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is supposed that, after harsh weather, the club mosses would crash down, with the stumps eventually rotting and hollowing out. Small animals such as Hylonomus, seeking shelter, would enter and become trapped, starving to death. Fossils of the basal pelycosaur Archaeothyris and the basal diapsid Petrolacosaurus are also found in the same region of Nova Scotia, although from a higher stratum, dated approximately 6 million years later.[2]
Fossilized footprints found in New Brunswick have been attributed to Hylonomus, at an estimated age of 315 million years.[4]
This animal was discovered by Sir William Dawson in the 1800s. The species name comes from Dawson's teacher, the geologist Sir Charles Lyell.
References
- ^ Genus Hylonomus Etymology
- ^ a b van Tuinen, Marcel; Elizabeth A. Hadly (2004). "Error in Estimation of Rate and Time Inferred from the Early Amniote Fossil Record and Avian Molecular Clocks". Journal of Molecular Evolution 59 (2): 267–276. doi:. http://www.stanford.edu/group/hadlylab/pdfs/vantuinenhadlyJME04.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
- ^ Palmer, D., ed (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 62. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
- ^ Falcon-Lang, H.J., Benton, M.J. & Stimson, M. (2007): Ecology of early reptiles inferred from Lower Pennsylvanian trackways. Journal of the Geological Society, London, 164; no. 6; pp 1113-1118. article
External links
- Nova Scotia provincial fossils - Accessed January 10, 2008
- Fossils of Nova Scotia - The Tree Stump Animals - Accessed January 10, 2008
- Transitional Vertebrate Fossils FAQ Part 1B - Accessed January 10, 2008
- Early Researchers & Finds of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs - Accessed August 1, 2008
- The Science of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs - Accessed August 2, 2008
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