Ostodolepis
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| Ostodolepis Temporal range: Permian, | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Family: | †Ostodolepidae |
| Genus: | †Ostodolepis Williston, 1913[1] |
Ostodolepis is an extinct genus of microsaurian tetrapods within the family Ostodolepidae. It is known from the Arroyo Formation in Texas.
The holotype of Ostodolepis was discovered in 1909 by American paleontologist S.W. Williston in Willsbarger County, Texas. It was formally described in 1913.[2] A second, more complete specimen was reported by Case (1929),[3] purportedly from the same locality as the holotype, that is now the holotype of Pelodosotis elongatum.[4] A third specimen (BPI 3839) was collected in 1965 by Kitching from the same locality as Case's specimen but is regarded as being more likely to belong to Micraroter erythrogeios. The name Ostodolepis brevispinatus is thus restricted to the holotype, which is currently reposited at the Field Museum of Natural History. Ostodolepis is from Greek ost-ōdēs ‘bone-like’ and lepís ‘scale, husk, shell’.
