Glossary CTE - CZE
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CAE - CAR - CEN - CHA - CHI - CLI - COM - CRA - CTE
CTENOSPONDYLUS
Ctenospondylus was a sail-backed pelycosaur (a mammal-like reptile) that
was about 10 ft (3 m) long. This carnivore (meat-eater) walked on four
legs, had a long tail, short back spines, and a deep but narrow skull
with massive jaws that contained many sharp teeth. This advanced sphenacodontid
lived from the Late Pennsylvanian through the Early Permian (before the
dinosaurs evolved). Classification: Kingdom Animalia (animals), Phylum
Chordata (chordates), Subphylum Vertebrata (vertebrates), Superclass Tetrapoda
(tetrapods - having four legs), Class Reptilia (reptiles), Subclass Synapsida
(synapsids), Order Pelycosauria (pelycosaurs), Family Sphenacodontidae
(sail-finned pelycosaurs -Dimetrodon, Sphenacodon, Ctenospondylus, and
Secodontosaurus), Genus Ctenospondylus, and many species.
CURRIE, PHILIP J.
Philip J. Currie is a Canadian paleontologist from the Royal Tyrrell Museum
of Paleontology in Drumheller, Alberta. He has worked extensively in Canada
and Asia, recently excavating feathered dinosaurs from China. He named:
Caenagnathasia (1993, with Godfrey and Nessov), Callovosaurus (1980),
Monolophosaurus (with Zhao, 1994), Ricardoestesia (with others, 1990),
and Sinraptor (with Zhao, 1993).
CUVIER, GEORGES
Baron Georges Cuvier (1769-1832) was a French vertebrate zoologist who
revolutionized biology by developing a natural system of classifying animals
based on comparative anatomy. Cuvier studied fossils and founded the science
of paleontology. Although he believed that catastrophic events caused
regional extinction, he also believed in fixed species (as opposed to
evolving species). Cuvier named many taxonomic groups of mammals, birds,
reptiles, and fish, including the phylum Mollusca (1798), class Cephalopoda
(1797), class Gastropoda (1797), and the genera: Pterodactylus (1809),
Campylodon (1832, with Valenciennes), Cynodon vulpinus (1829), Palaeotherium
(1825), Anchitherium (1825), Notidanus (1816), Spinax (1817), Hydrocyon
(1819), Chaetopterus (1827), Orcynus (1817), Mydaus meliceps (1821), Xyrichtys
(1799), Megalaima flavifrons (1816), Esacus (1829), Myliobatis(1817),
Uropeltis (1829), Ziphius cavirostris= Cuvier's Beaked Whale (1823), Stenella
frontalis = Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (1838), Grampus griseus = Risso's
Dolphin (1828), Adapis parisiensis (1822), Paleosuchus palpebrosus = Cuvier's
dwarf caiman (1807), Euselenops luniceps (1817), Jorunna tomentosa (1804),
etc.
Cycad
An ancient group of plants that survive to this day in tropical and subtropical
environments. They have a central trunk with thick bark that is topped
by a crown of spiny leaves. They look similar to tree ferns and palms.
CYCADEOID
Cycadeoids (Bennettitales) were plants with woody stems (some erect, some
spherical) and very tough leaves. Cycadeoids do not always have separate
male and female plants. Cycadeoids are now extinct. Some Mesozoic Cycadeoids
included: Cycadeoidea, Vardekloeftia, Williamsonia (shown above), Williamsoniella,
Westersheimia, and Leguminanthus.
CYCADOPHYTES
Cycadophytes included the Cycads and Cycadeoids (Bennettitales), plants
with woody stems (some erect, some spherical) and very tough leaves. These
two groups differ mainly in the way they reproduce: Cycads have separate
male and female plants; Cycadeoids do not always. Cycadeoids are now extinct
but there are still a few cycads. Some Mesozoic Era Cycads included: Leptocycas,
Cycas, Zamia, Dioon, Bowenia, Stangeria, and Microcyas. Some Mesozoic
Cycadeoids included: Cycadeoidea, Vardekloeftia, Williamsonia, Williamsoniella,
Westersheimia, and Leguminanthus.
CYMBOSPONDYLUS
Cymbospondylus was an Ichthyosaur 33 feet (10 m) long with one fin on
the back and no fins on the tail. It had four paddle-shaped flippers and
sharp teeth in long jaws. It lived during the mid-Triassic Period in North
and South America. It was not a dinosaur, but another type of extinct
reptile.
Cynodont
These small, four legged omnivores lived in the Late Triassic period.
They inhabited river valleys and scrubland around the plains and made
burrows. An ancestor of the mammals, they had hair-like scales and hunted
at night. Typical cynodonts would grow up to about one and a half metres
long and weigh up to 20 kg.
CYNOGNATHUS
(pronounced sy-nog-NAY-thus) Cynognathus (meaning: "dog jaw")
was a cynodont (a mammal-like reptile, not a dinosaur) the size of a wolf
that lived during the early to middle Triassic Period, roughly 230-245
million years ago. This early therapsid was a fast-moving carnivore (meat-eater)
that had four legs and a short tail. It was about 5 feet (1.5 m) long
and lived on open plains. It was probably warm-blooded and gave birth
to live young. This reptile had dog-like teeth and hunted herbivores like
Kannemeyeria (another early therapsid) in packs. Fossils have been found
in South Africa and Argentina.
Cypress
A group of coniferous plants that evolved in the Carboniferous period
and are still alive today. Cypress are seed-bearing plants or gymnosperms.
Czekanowskialeans
A group of gymnosperms with unusual reproductive structures and long needle-like
leaves shed as a bundle, thought by some to be related to the ginkgos.
They were abundant in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere from
the Late Triassic through to the middle of the Cretaceous.