''Wellesaurus'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of mastodonsauroid

temnospondyl Temnospondyli (from Greek language, Greek τέμνειν, ''temnein'' 'to cut' and σπόνδυλος, ''spondylos'' 'vertebra') is a diverse order (biology), order of small to giant tetrapods—often considered Labyrinthodontia, primitive amphi ...

. They were amphibious

carnivore A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other sof ...

s that lived in freshwater environments. ''Wellesaurus'' encompasses several species which were connected when the genus was named in 1971. The type species, ''Wellesaurus peabodyi'', was originally named as ''Parotosaurus peabodyi'' in 1965. This species is based on UCMP 36058, a complete skull from the Wupatki Member of the

Moenkopi Formation The Moenkopi Formation is a geological formation that is spread across the U.S. states of New Mexico, northern Arizona, Nevada, southeastern California, eastern Utah and western Colorado. This unit is considered to be a group in Arizona. Part ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. Many other skulls have been recovered from the area and referred to the species. ''Wellesaurus peabodyi'' is often considered synonymous with '' Stanocephalosaurus birdi'', a contemporaneous capitosaur named in 1933. Another potential species, ''Wellesaurus africanus'', is from subzone B of the ''Cynognathus'' Assemblage Zone in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. Although this species was originally formulated in 1909, the fragmentary preservation of its material has prevented precise conclusions on its affinities. As a result, it has been referred to a variety of mastodonsauroid genera, including ''

Capitosaurus ''Capitosaurus'' is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibians whose remains have been found in Spitsbergen and Germany. Its skull The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cra ...

'', ''

Parotosuchus ''Parotosuchus'' is an extinct genus of capitosaurian temnospondyl amphibians within the family Mastodonsauridae. Fossils are known from the Early Triassic of Europe, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. It was about long and likely lived in aqua ...

'', and ''Wellesaurus.'' Based on a more complete skull, the ''africanus'' species was given its own genus, ''

Xenotosuchus ''Xenotosuchus'' is an extinct genus of mastodonsaurid temnospondyl within the family Mastodonsauridae known from the Triassic of South Africa. The genus is based on a skull originally described as '' Parotosuchus'', an animal which it resemble ...

'', in 2002. A third potential species, ''Wellesaurus bussoni'', was named in 1971 based on fragmentary skull material from the Lower Sandstone Member of the

Zarzaïtine Series Zarzaitine (also written Zarzaïtine) is an industrial village in the commune of In Amenas, in In Amenas District, Illizi Province, eastern Algeria. It is a notable mining area, with significant deposits of sulphur and crude oil in particular. ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

. This species is considered indeterminate and dubious, possibly representing remains of a juvenile heylerosaurid. It has also been connected with "''Parotosuchus lapperenti''", another obscure and indeterminate Algerian mastodonsauroid.

References

Stereospondyls Triassic temnospondyls of North America Fossil taxa described in 1971 {{Temnospondyli-stub

See also

References