Karaurus

Karaurus; Temporal range: Late Jurassic 161.2–150.8 Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Fossil skeleton
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Clade:	Caudata
Family:	†Karauridae
Genus:	†Karaurus; Ivachnenko, 1978
Type species
	†Karaurus sharovi; Ivachnenko, 1978

Karaurus (meaning head-tail) is an extinct genus of stem-group salamander from the Middle to Late Jurassic (Callovian–Kimmeridgian) Karabastau Formation of Kazakhstan. It is one of the oldest salamanders known.

Karaurus was about 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long, and very similar anatomically to modern salamanders. It probably swam through fresh water feeding on aquatic snails, worms, crustaceans and insects.[2] Karaurus is thought to form a clade with Kokartus from the Bathonian of Kyrgyzstan, together forming the Karauridae, as the sister group to crown salamanders.

Life restoration of Karaurus sharovi

References

"†Karaurus Ivachnenko 1978". Paleobiology Database. Fossilworks. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 57. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.

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[fossilworks-1] "†Karaurus Ivachnenko 1978". Paleobiology Database. Fossilworks. Retrieved 21 July 2018.

[EoDP-2] Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 57. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.