Clepsydrops

Clepsydrops Temporal range: Carboniferous
Life restoration
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Family:	†Ophiacodontidae
Genus:	†Clepsydrops Cope, 1875
Species
†Clepsydrops collettii †Clepsydrops natalis †Clepsydrops vinslovii
Synonyms
Archaeobelus Cope, 1877

Clepsydrops is an extinct genus of primitive synapsids from the early Late Carboniferous that was related to Archaeothyris. The name means 'hour-glass appearance' (Greek klepsydra = "hourglass" + Greek ops = "eye, face, appearance").^[1]

Synapsida is the group (or clade) that includes mammals, but the term is mainly used to refer to its earliest members. Like many other early terrestrial amniotes, it probably had the diet of insects and smaller animals. It probably laid eggs on land rather than in the water, as most amniote tetrapods did.

A paleobiological inference model for the femur suggests a terrestrial lifestyle for Clepsydrops,^[2] as for its more recent relative Ophiacodon.^[3] This is consistent with its rather thin, compact cortex. Its jaws were slightly more advanced than those of other early amniote tetrapods like Paleothyris and Hylonomus.

See also

• List of pelycosaurs
• Evolution of mammals
• Carboniferous tetrapods
• List of transitional fossils

References

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Synapsida

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Superclass: Tetrapoda Clade: Amniota
Tetrapodomorpha see Tetrapodomorpha Reptiliomorpha see Reptiliomorpha Synapsida see below↓

Synapsida
Synapsida †Eunotosaurus? †Diadectomorpha? †Caseasauria? Eothyrididae Asaphestera? Eothyris Oedaleops Vaughnictis Caseidae Alierasaurus Angelosaurus Arisierpeton Callibrachion Casea Caseoides Caseopsis Cotylorhynchus Datheosaurus Ennatosaurus Eocasea Euromycter Lalieudorhynchus Martensius Oromycter Phreatophasma Ruthenosaurus Trichasaurus Eupelycosauria †Varanopidae? Apsisaurus Archaeovenator Ascendonanus Eoscansor Dendromaia Nitosaurus? Pyozia Thrausmosaurus Mesenosaurinae Anningia Cabarzia Elliotsmithia Heleosaurus Mesenosaurus Microvaranops Varanodontinae Aerosaurus Mycterosaurus? Ruthiromia Tambacarnifex Varanops Varanodon Watongia Metopophora see below↓ Incertae sedis †Dimacrodon †Driveria †Gorgodon †Knoxosaurus †Mastersonia †Protoclepsydrops?

Metopophora
†Ophiacodontidae Archaeothyris Baldwinonus Clepsydrops Echinerpeton Ophiacodon Stereophallodon Stereorhachis Varanosaurus Haptodontiformes †Ianthodon †Milosaurus †Edaphosauridae Bohemiclavulus Edaphosaurus Glaucosaurus Gordodon Ianthasaurus Lupeosaurus Melanedaphodon Ramodendron Remigiomontanus Xyrospondylus Sphenacodontia †Cutleria †Haptodus †Hypselohaptodus †Kenomagnathus †Tetraceratops †Palaeohatteriidae Palaeohatteria Pantelosaurus Sphenacodontoidea †Shashajaia †Sphenacodontidae Cryptovenator Ctenorhachis Ctenospondylus Cutleria? Dimetrodon Eosyodon Macromerion Neosaurus Secodontosaurus Sphenacodon Steppesaurus? Tappenosaurus? Tetraceratops? Therapsida see below↓

Therapsida
Therapsida †Raranimus †Biarmosuchia see Biarmosuchia †Dinocephalia see Dinocephalia †Anomodontia see Anomodontia includes dicynodonts †Gorgonopsia see Gorgonopsia Eutheriodontia †Therocephalia see Therocephalia Cynodontia see Cynodontia includes mammals Incertae sedis †Dinosaurus †Kamagorgon †Niaftasuchus

• See also: Pelycosauria
• Phthinosuchia
• Theriodontia
• Category

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