| Echidnocephalus Temporal range: Possible Coniacian and Maastrichtian occurrence | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fossil of Echidnocephalus troscheli | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Notacanthiformes |
| Family: | Halosauridae |
| Genus: | † Echidnocephalus von der Marck, 1858 |
| Type species | |
| †Echidnocephalus troscheli von der Marck, 1858 | |
| Species [1] | |
| |
Echidnocephalus (Greek for "Echidna's head") is an extinct genus of prehistoric halosaur known from the Late Cretaceous. It is the earliest known definitive member of the order Notacanthiformes. [2]
It contains one definitive species known from complete and partial specimens: E. troscheli (=E. tenuicaudusvon der Marck, 1858) from the late Campanian-aged Ahlen Formation of Westphalia, Germany. [3] These body fossils suggest an animal already very similar to modern halosaurs. [2]
In addition, two disputed species known only from isolated fossil scales very similar to those of modern halosaurs have been described from North America: ?E. americanusCockerell, 1919 from the Coniacian-aged Mancos Shale of Wyoming and ?E. pacificusCockerell, 1919 from the Maastrichtian-aged Moreno Formation of California. [4] [5]
