Labyrinthodon at Crystal Palace Park,
Scientific name: The species that the models are based on is now recognised scientifically as Mastodonsaurus, meaning “breast tooth lizard”. The name “Labyrinthodon” was the nineteenth century anatomist Richard Owen’s attempt to replace Mastodonsaurus with a name he thought better suited the animal, but is no longer formally recognised. However, we do still use it informally to refer to the Crystal Palace models. Mastodonsaurus is included within a group called ‘temnospondyls’ – giant tetrapods (four legged animals) that are thought to be primitive amphibians. Common name: Labyrinthodon, meaning ‘maze tooth’ from the striking infolding of the enamel and dentine within the teeth. Lived: UK and mainland Europe When: 242 - 235 million years ago Size: Up to 6 metres in length Diet: It was probably an ambush predator in freshwater and fish have most commonly been found in their coprolites (fossil poo). However, smaller amphibian relatives have been found bearing their tooth marks and it probably also hunted some smaller land-dwelling animals. Statues: The three individuals on the farthest island to the southwest of the site Fun fact: In HG Wells’ novel Kipps the ‘great green and gold Labyrinthodon’ model at Crystal Palace is said to stare with an ‘inflexibly calm’ gaze. The Crystal Palace statues vs modern scientific reconstructions: The anatomist Richard Owen described several species of Labyrinthodon from fragmentary fossil material from Warwickshire in the early nineteenth
Size: 5050px × 3361px
Location: Crystal Palace Park, Crystal Palace, South East London
Photo credit: © John Gaffen 2 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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