Metazoa info

[Duke Guilmon]

XProtergyrinus scheelei



Size:2½ meters

Weight:2.2-4.5kg

Life expectancy:Not known

When it First appeared: It appeared in the Serpukhovian 328.3million years ago

Location:The fossils of this animal where found in Scotland and West Virginia

Taxonomy:

Class:Amphibia
Clade:Reptilomorpha
Order:XAnthracosauria
Suborder:XEmbolomeri
Family:XProterogyrinidae
Genus:XProterogyrinus
Species:XProterogyrinus scheelei

Diet:This animal can eat both the animals in water, air, and land.

Anatomy:This animal is a transitional fossil. Its amphibian traits were its labyrinthodon-amphibian skull and teeth, and a fish skull hinge. Also it had a amphibian ankle.
Its amniote traits are its amniote vertabre,pelvis,digits, and humerus and its 2-3-4-5-3 phalangeal count.

Behavior:This animal was transitional in its behavior. This animal moved in water like an amphibian but traveled on land like an amniote.

Reproduction:Not known

Relationships with other animals:Not known besides its prey.



It is a lizard frog demon

Other sources:

http://dinosaurs.about.com/od/tetrapodsa...yrinus.htm

http://www.reptileevolution.com/proterogyrinus.htm

http://www.palaeocritti.com/by-group/emb...erogyrinus

---

XGerobatrachus hottoni



Size:11 cm

Weight:Not known

Life expectancy:Not known

When it First appeared: In the early Permian, 290 million years ago

Location:The fossil of this animal was found in Baylor county, Texas

Taxonomy:

Class:Amphibia
Order:XTemnospondyli
Clade:XEuskelia
Superfamily:XDissorophoidea
Family:XAmphibamidae
Genus:XGerobatrachus
Species:XGerobatrachus hottoni

Diet:This animals diet was insects

Anatomy:This animal is a transitional fossil. Its salamander traits are its tail, that its back bone has more in common with salamanders because as it is wider, and it had a flat head like other temnospondyli.
Its anura traits are its large round head and short vertebre, however it shares this trait with the early salamander karaurus, and a otic notch.

Behavior:This animal was aquatic, and would hang around water.

Reproduction:Not known

Relationships with other animals:Not known



A detailed view of our frogamander

Other sources:

http://dinosaurs.about.com/od/tetrapodsa...rachus.htm

http://www.reptileevolution.com/gerobatrachus.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200...131541.htm

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XEocacelia micropodia



Life expectancy:Not known

When it First appeared:Early Jurrasic 199.6 million years ago

Location:The fossil of this animal was found in Arizona

Taxonomy:

Class:Amphibia
Clade:Lissamphibia
Order:Gymnophiona
Genus:XEocaecilia
Species:XEocaecilia micropodia

Diet:Larve and insects

Anatomy:This fossil is transitional. Its main transitional feature is its limbs. The limbs were used to move and are left over from its Lissamphibian ancestors.

Behavior:This animal could have traveled underground. Not much is known about E.micropodia's behavior

Reproduction:Not known



Other sources:

http://dinosaurs.about.com/od/tetrapodsa...ecilia.htm

http://www.palaeocritti.com/by-group/lis...eocaecilia

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ado...ne.0050743

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Gnathostomulida paradoxa



Size:0.5-1mm

Weight:Not known

Life expectancy:Not known

When it first appeared:Not known

Location:This animal is marine and are found in sand and mud of coastal waters.

Taxonomy:

Order:Bursovaginoidea
Family:Gnathostomulidae
Genus:Gnathostomula
Species:Gnathoastomula paradoxa

Diet:This animal eats red fungi and bacteria

Anatomy:This animal has no body cavity, and no circulatory or respiratory system. This animal has a simple nervous system. G.paradoxa is known for its jaws. These jaws are located behind its head. These jaws have minute teeth and a plate with comb-like structure to collect food with.

Behavior: This animal moves in the sand and collects food.

Reproduction: These animals are hermaphrodites. The eggs of these animals rupture through the body wall. When the eggs hatch, they come out as miniature adults.

Relationship with other animals: Not known



The jaws of a monster

Other sources:

http://www.zmuc.dk/inverweb/dyr/limnogna...ida_UK.htm

http://eol.org/pages/8747/overview

http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2014/04/jaw-worm.html

[Anomalocaris]

Sacculina.

[Duke Guilmon]

†Arkarua adami



Size:3-10mm

Weight:not known

Life expectancy: Not known

When it first appeared:This animal appeared in the Edicaran 630 million years ago.

Location:Fossils of this animal have been found in Flinders Ranges in South Australia

Taxonomy:
Genus:†Arakarua
Species:†Arakarua adami

Diet:Not known

Anatomy: This animals strange anatomy is what makes it hard to classify. It has a flat pentamerous symmetrical body. It also had a skeleton made of a crystalline calcium carbonate.

Behavior:Not known

Reproduction:Not known

Relationship with other animals:Not known.



The mysterious beast that we have discovered.

other sources:

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vendian/arkarua.html

http://facweb.furman.edu/~wworthen/bio44...an/ark.htm

http://fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl..._no=148102

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†Laganosuchus thaumastos



Size:6m long with a 1m head

Weight:not known

Life expectancy:Not known

When it first appeared: In the late cretaceous 95 MYA

Location:The fossils of this animal were found in Echkar Formation in Niger.

Taxonomy:
Class:Reptilia
Clade:Sauropsida
Clade:Eureptilia
Clade:Romeriida
Cladeiapsida
Clade:Neodiapsida
Clade:Archosauromorpha
Clade:Archosauriformes
Clade:Crurotarsi
Clade:Archosauria
Cladeseudosuchia
Clade:Suchia
Informal group:†Rauisuchia
Cladearacrocodylomorpha
Clade:Loricata
Clade:Bathyotica
Superorder:Crocodylomorpha
Clade:Crocodyliformes
Clade:Mesoeucrocodylia
Clade:Metasuchia
Clade:Neosuchia
Family:†Stomatosuchidae
Genus:†Laganosuchus
Species:†Laganosuchus thaumastos

Diet: The diet of these animals were predators. eating all animals it could catch

Anatomy: This animal is know for its flattened head. It is because of this that it has earned the name pancake crocodile.

Behavior: Like all fossils, it is hard to determine its behavior. However, like all crocodiles it would wait in water for prey.

Reproduction: Not known

Relationship with other animals: Most prey had trouble swimming and drinking thanks to this crocodile as it would eat those who entered their territory.



The model and flat head of this animal

other sources:

http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/spec...uchus.html

http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2009...ncakecroc/

http://eol.org/pages/10702623/overview

[LivingNumbers6.626]

Wow, this is pretty awesome. Thank you for this! Especially for the marine life posts! Love it!

[Duke Guilmon]

Sacculina carcini



Size:Not Known

Weight:Not known

Life expectancy:Not known

When it first appeared:Not known

Location:This barnacle is usually found in the crabs shell at its genitalia. They live in the same water that they can find crabs in.

Taxonomy:
Class:Maxillopoda
Subclass:Thecostraca
Infraclass:Cirripedia
Superorder:Rhizocephala
Order:Kentrogonida
Family:Sacculinidae
Genus:Sacculina
Species:Sacculina carcini

Diet:Eats the crabs body fluids

Anatomy:Sacculina carcini larvae molts into a kentrogon form, which happens when the animal is young. This enables it to enter inside the crab.

Behavior: Sacculina carcini spends most of its life inside its host. They manipulate the crab to do its bidding

Reproduction:Sacculina carcini mate while still inside the host. Sacculina females in a male host will force the male to resemble a female, release female hormones, and even make "her" do a mating dance. When they lay their eggs, the crab that is a host of the female will take care of the eggs as if it was their own.

Relationships with other animals: Crabs are important to this animal. This is because their life cycle depends on them. They also benefit humans as they get rid of crabs considered pest.



He was uncomfortable with his gender

Other sources:

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/ac...a_carcini/

http://societyofbiologyblog.org/sacculina-parasite/

http://www.ecomare.nl/en/encyclopedia/or...a-carcini/

[Duke Guilmon]

†Steller's sea cow



Hydrodamalis gigas

Size:8-9m

Weight:Either 4-24.3 metric tons

Life expectancy:Not known

Location:This animal was found in the north pacific, found as far north as Alaska and as far south as northern japan

Taxonomy:
Class:Mammalia
Clade:Holotheria
Superlegion:Trechnotheria
Legion:Cladotheria
Sublegion:Zatheria
Infralegion:Theria
Clade:Eutheria
Infraclasslacentalia
Magnorder:Atlantogenata
Superorder:Afrotheria
Cladeaenugulata
Clade:Thethytheria
Order:Sirenia
Familyugonidae
Subfamily:†Hydrodamalinae
Genus:†Hydrodamalis
Species:†Hydrodamalis gigas

Diet:This animal feed on a large variety of kelp

Anatomy:The fins of this animal looked like that of a pinneped, with a fluke acting like that of a cetacean. This animal also had thick fat to keep it warm from the cold in the reigions it lived in

Behavior: This animal was slow moving. It would spend its days eating and swimming in a slow calm manner.

Reproduction: Not known

Relationships with other animals: Steller's sea cows were hunted to extinction due to their oil, fur, and meat



The once gentle steller's sea cow

Other sources:

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/ac...lis_gigas/

http://messybeast.com/extinct/steller-sea-cow.htm

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/10303/0

[Duke Guilmon]

Northern Tuatara



Sphenodon puncatatus

Size:61cm males, 45cm females

Weight: 1 kg males, 0.5kg females

Life expectancy:Northern tuataras can live well over 100 years

When it first appeared: This animal first appeared in the Pleistocene, 126 thousand years ago.

Location: Northern Tuataras are found in the northern parts of new zealand.



Taxonomy:
Class:Reptilia
Clade:Sauropsida
Clade:Eureptilia
Clade:Romeriida
Cladeiapsida
Clade:Neodiapsida
Infraclass:Lepidosauromorpha
Superorder:Lepidosauria
Order:Rhynchocephalia
Suborder:Sphendontia
Family:Sphenodontidae
Genus:Sphenodon
Species:Sphenodon puncatatus

Diet: Northern tuataras are carnivores, eating things like eggs, insects, and even young northern tuataras.

Anatomy: Northern tuataras are very primitive when compared to other modern reptiles. Their brains are very similar to that of amphibians, more similar than other reptiles in fact. However it still has modern reptile traits like its gastralia. The tuataras also have a third "eye" which is used for sensing temperatures. Northern tuataras also can tolerate temperatures colder then most reptiles can, with a 16-20 degrees Celsius optimal body temperature.

Behavior:Northern tuataras are nocturnal while they are adults and diurnal while they are young. This is so the young can avoid being cannibalized. Northern tuataras are solitary and will spend much of its life in the burrows they live in. Northern tuataras are also territorial and will bite anything that disturbs it burrow.

Reproduction: Northern tuatara are slow when reproducing. The mating occurs during midsummer. Northern tuataras reach sexual maturity at 10-20 years of age. Males court females into mating with them. The males skin turns dark and his crest begin to raise. He will then move towards a female with his legs stiffened. If a female accepts him, she will let him mount her, if not she will go to her burrow. Males do not have a penis, so instead he gives sperm to the female through his cloaca. The female will have a gestation period of one-three years and seven months. It then takes 12-15 months before the eggs hatch. This animal has the slowest reproduction time of all extant reptiles. This reptile can mate at any age, even when they are past 100 years old. The sex of the eggs is also determined by temperature. Warmer eggs tend to be male, and cooler eggs tend to be female. Temperatures of 21 degrees Celsius will have a 50/50 chance of it being male or female. Temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius will be all females.

Relationship with other animals:
The seabirds that live in the same area as the northern tuatara give these animals food through the guano they produce because it is the food source of many land dwelling arthropods. Humans once drove this animal to near extinction, but thanks to efforts, this animals population has recovered.



Did I mention the seabirds also make a great meal?

Other sources:

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/ac...punctatus/

http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/nati...s/tuatara/

http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/tuatara/page-1

[Duke Guilmon]

Saltwater crocodile



Size:4.3-6.7m in males, 3m in females

Weight:400-2,00kg

Life expectancy: 70 years

When it first appeared: It is estimated to have appeared in the Miocene 12-6 million years ago

Location:Salties are found in estuaries, mangrove swamps, deltas, and lagoons as far south as Australia and as far north as India.



Taxonomy:
Class:Reptilia
Clade:Sauropsida
Clade:Eureptilia
Clade:Romeriida
Cladeiapsida
Clade:Neodiapsida
Clade:Archosauromorpha
Clade:Archosauriformes
Clade:Crurotarsi
Clade;Archosauria
Cladeseudosuchia
Clade:Suchia
Informal group:Rauisuchia
Cladearacrocodylomorpha
Clade:Loricata
Clade:Bathyotica
Superorder:Crocodylomorpha
Clade:Crocodyliformes
Clade:Mesoeurocodylia
Clade:MEtasuchia
Clade:Neosuchia
Clade:Eusuchia
Order:Crocodilia
Clade:Brevirostres
Superfamily:Crocodyloidea
Family:Crocodylidae
Subfamily:Crocodylinae
Genus:Crocodylus
Species:Crocodylus porosus

Diet:Being the apex predator it is saltwater crocodiles eat a range of animals, from crustaceans to other large predators

Anatomy: To survive in its habitat saltwater crocodiles have evolved salt glands, and are the only crocodiles to have slat glands and live in salt water. Another amazing structure of the saltwater crocodile is its jaws. Salties have the strongest bite force of any extant animal. This is thanks to its jaw muscle, as it has a large space and is very stiff. However they have weak muscles to open the jaw.

Behavior: Salties will travel area to area by sea, either swimming or letting the currents carry them to were they are going. Salties that were at sea for a long time will have barnacles. Salties are also social animals, as they will share basking spots and food. Males are also territorial and will fight males and share its spot with females. Salt water crocodiles are active both day and night, as they bask during the day and mainly hunt at night/

Reproduction: Saltwater crocodiles begin to mate during the wet season. The salties in Australia begin mating during September and October. The females will select a territory which contains a male. Once they are mates, they will defend their territory from every one. After mating, the female builds a nest of mud and vegetation. She then lays 40-60 eggs. These eggs are small, smaller than many other crocodile species in fact. She will guard the eggs for 80-90 days. the sex of the eggs is determined by their temperature. High temperatures mostly produce males, lower temperatures mostly produce females. Females defend these eggs with much vigilance. They will attack all those who approach her offspring. The young leave their mom at the age of 2.5 years, and reach sexual maturity at the age of 10.

Relationships with other animals: Salties attack all animals, weather it be a threat of not. Even humans and sharks are attacked by these beast.



Birthday crocodile

Other sources:

http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=187

http://www.australianfauna.com/saltwatercrocodile.php

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/ac...s_porosus/

[Whateverist]

Northern Tuatara

When I was in late elementary and middle school I read everything I could find about animals. I seem to remember reading that Tuataras have an area of light sensitive skin if not a vestigial third eye at the top of their head. That would have been about 50 years ago so maybe I just got bad information, or more likely, bad memory retention.

Thanks so much for the information on these animals. Sad that such a large animal as the Steller's sea cow, like the Dodo, went extinct so recently. Would've been quite a sight to see.

[FatAndFaithless]

Can we get Metazoa Zeke his own TV show? I'd watch the shit out of that.