Opalios
Opalios Temporal range: Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian),
| |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Monotremata |
Superfamily: | Ornithorhynchoidea |
Family: | †Opalionidae |
Genus: | †Opalios |
Species: | †O. splendens
|
Binomial name | |
†Opalios splendens |
Opalios (meaning "opal," a reference to opalization) is an extinct genus of monotreme mammal from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Griman Creek Formation of Australia. The genus contains a single species, O. splendens, known from a fragmentary left dentary.[1]
Opalios was nicknamed "echidnapus" (a portmanteau of echidna and platypus) in the press following its description due to the specimen's similarities to both taxa.[2] Several other monotremes are known from the Griman Creek Formation, including Dharragarra and Parvopalus—which were described in the same publication as Opalios—as well as Kollikodon, Steropodon, and Stirtodon.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Flannery, Timothy F.; McCurry, Matthew R.; Rich, Thomas H.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Smith, Elizabeth T.; Helgen, Kristofer M. (2024-05-26). "A diverse assemblage of monotremes (Monotremata) from the Cenomanian Lightning Ridge fauna of New South Wales, Australia". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology: 1–19. doi:10.1080/03115518.2024.2348753. ISSN 0311-5518.
- ^ de Kruijff, Peter (2024-05-26). "'Echidnapus' fossil of potential echidna and platypus ancestor may point to Australian 'age of monotremes'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2024-05-27.