Hylonomus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hylonomus Temporal range: Pennsylvanian, 315–312 mya
Life restoration of Hylonomus lyelli
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Class:	Sauropsida
Type species
†Hylonomus lyelli

Hylonomus is an extinct stem tetrapod which lived 312 million years ago (mya) during the Pennsylvanian. The lack of skull openings behind the eyes makes it difficult to decide whether or not it is a sauropsid. Westlothiana is older, but may have been an amphibian, and Casineria is rather fragmentary.

Hylonomus was 20 centimetres (8 in) long (including the tail) and probably would have looked rather similar to modern lizards. It had small sharp teeth and likely ate small invertebrates such as millipedes or early insects.

Fossils of Hylonomus have been found in the remains of fossilized club moss stumps in Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Nova Scotia, Canada. The theory is that, after harsh weather, the club mosses would crash down. The stumps eventually hollow out. Small animals such as Hylonomus, seeking shelter, might enter and become trapped, starving to death. Fossils of the basal pelycosaur Archaeothyris and the basal diapsid Petrolacosaurus are also found in the same region of Nova Scotia, higher up, dated about 6 million years later.

Some fossilized footprints, from about 315 mya, have been found in New Brunswick. They are attributed to Hylonomus.

Images for kids

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  Life restoration

See also

In Spanish: Hylonomus para niños