What is Hylonomus?
Q: What is Hylonomus?
A: Hylonomus is an extinct stem tetrapod which lived 312 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian.
Q: How big was Hylonomus?
A: Hylonomus was 20 centimetres (8 inches) long (including the tail).
Q: What did it look like?
A: It likely would have looked rather similar to modern lizards.
Q: What did it eat?
A: It had small sharp teeth and likely ate small invertebrates such as millipedes or early insects.
Q: Where were fossils of Hylonomus found?
A: Fossils of Hylonomus have been found in the remains of fossilized club moss stumps in Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Q: What other fossils are found in the same region of Nova Scotia?
A: Fossils of the basal pelycosaur Archaeothyris and the basal diapsid Petrolacosaurus are also found in this region, higher up, dated about 6 million years later.
Q: Are there any footprints attributed to Hylomonous?
A: Yes, some fossilized footprints from about 315 mya have been found in New Brunswick and are attributed to Hylomonous.
