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Ecology & Environment
Pradeep Kumar

13/06/21 11:20 AM IST

Bharitalasuchus tapani

In news
Bharitalasuchus Tapani, a carnivorous reptile that lived 240 million years ago

Details
  • This reptile belongs to a genus and species previously unknown to science.
  • In the Telugu language, Bhari means huge, Tala means head, and Suchus is the name of the Egyptian crocodile-headed deity.
  • The species is named after paleontologist Tapan Roy Chowdhury in honour of his contribution to Indian vertebrate paleontology and especially his extensive work on the Yerrapalli Formation tetrapod fauna.
About the reptile
  • Bharitalasuchus Tapani was robust animals with big heads and large teeth, and these probably predated other smaller reptiles.
  • They were approximately the size of an adult male lion and might have been the largest predators in their ecosystems.
  • “The first Erythrosuchidae remains were discovered in South Africa in 1905 and more were found in China and Russia.
  • The South African one is about 245 million years old, while the ones from China and Russia are around 240 million years old.
  • So the Indian one is one of the youngest fossil records we have of an erythrosuchid.
  • This is a nice example of evidence of biological interaction that occurred 240 million years ago.”
Why was it neglected?
  • It was neglected because the fossil specimen was not as complete as those of other erythrosuchids from other countries. 
  • Also, because the few paleontologists with expertise in the family had not examined the fossil or carried out the detailed comparative work needed.
Source: The Hindu

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