Piceoerpeton
Temporal range: Maastrichtian-Eocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Amphibia
Order:
Urodela
Family:
Scapherpetontidae
Genus:
Piceoerpeton
Species
  • Piceoerpeton naylori
  • Piceoerpeton willwoodense

Piceoerpeton is an extinct genus of prehistoric amphibian, containing species known from the latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian), Paleocene and Eocene of North America.[1] It is one of the largest known salamanders at 1.8 metres, and would have approached the cryptobranchid Andrias in size. However, Piceoerpeton is unrelated to the Cryptobranchidae; instead it appears to be a member of the extinct family Scapherpetontidae.

Species

P. naylori is the smaller, earlier species, being found in Maastrichtian to early Paleocene strata of Wyoming and Montana. P. willwoodense is the larger, younger species, being found in late Paleocene strata of the Western Interior, and early Eocene strata of the Canadian Arctic.

See also

References

  1. ↑ James D. Gardner (2012). "Revision of Piceoerpeton Meszoely (Caudata: Scapherpetontidae) and description of a new species from the late Maastrichtian and ?early Paleocene of western North America". Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France. 183 (6): 611–620. doi:10.2113/gssgfbull.183.6.611.


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