Ischigualastia Explained

Ischigualastia is an extinct genus of large dicynodont therapsids that lived during the Late Carnian age and the Early Norian age of the Late Triassic Period. The genus was found in and named after the Ischigualasto Formation (Cancha de Bochas Member) of the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin in northwestern Argentina. It has been placed in the family Stahleckeriidae.^[1]

Description

The genus is described as an enormous dicynodont, with a short, high skull, and lacking tusks.^[2] Its close relative is Placerias,^[3] which measured around 3.5m (11.5feet) long and weighed up to 800kg-1000kgkg (1,800lb-2,000lbkg).^{[4] [5] [6]}

Paleoecology

It was a large quadrupedal herbivore, most common at the base of the Ischigualasto Formation.It was a common member of the local fauna, although not as abundant as the medium-sized herbivores Hyperodapedon and Exaeretodon. It was one of the two dicynodont that lived in the Ischigualasto Formation (the other being Jachaleria). The only danger to such a huge animal was the almost equally large carnivorous pseudosuchian Saurosuchus and perhaps the predatory dinosaur Herrerasaurus, which shared the same environment. Along with its relative Placerias, it was the second largest dicynodont after the gigantic Lisowicia.

See also

• Stahleckeriidae
• List of therapsids

Notes and References

1. Book: Carroll, Robert L. . Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution . registration . 1988 . W.H. Freeman and Company . 0-7167-1822-7 .
2. Web site: Kazlev, M.A.. White, A.T.. 2004-02-01. Therapsida: Neotherapsida: Dicynodontia. Palaeos. 1 November 2014.
3. Vega-Dias . Cristina . Maisch . Michael W. . Schultz . Cesar Leandro . A new phylogenetic analysis of Triassic dicynodonts (Therapsida) and the systematic position of Jachaleria candelariensis from the Upper Triassic of Brazil . Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen . 2 March 2004 . 231 . 2 . 145–166 . 10.1127/njgpa/231/2004/145 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230521073426/https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/njgpa/detail/231/90103/A_new_phyologenetic_analysis_of_Triassic_dicynodon . 21 May 2023 .
4. Book: Prothero, Donald R. . 20. Synapsids: The Origin of Mammals. Vertebrate Evolution: From Origins to Dinosaurs and Beyond . 18 April 2022 . CRC Press . Boca Raton . 978-0-36-747316-7. 10.1201/9781003128205-4 . 246318785 . en.
5. Hartman . Scott A. . Lovelace . David M. . Linzmeier . Benjamin J. . Mathewson . Paul D. . Porter . Warren P. . November 2022 . Mechanistic Thermal Modeling of Late Triassic Terrestrial Amniotes Predicts Biogeographic Distribution . Diversity . en . 14 . 11 . 973 . 10.3390/d14110973 . 1424-2818. free .
6. Fiorillo. Anthony R.. Padian. Kevin. Musikasinthorn. Chayanin. 2000. Taphonomy and Depositional Setting of the Placerias Quarry (Chinle Formation: Late Triassic, Arizona). PALAIOS. 15. 5. 373–386. 10.2307/3515510. 3515510 . 0883-1351.