Euctenius is an extinct genus of vertebrate containing a single species, Euctenius unilateralis. It was initially described as the tooth of the petalodont genus Ctenoptychius or as a genus of edestid,[1][2] although it more likely represents the copulatory organ of an amphibian.[3] Fossils of Euctenius have been uncovered in Scotland and England and date to the Late Carboniferous period.[1][4] Identical structures are known to have been paired around the cloaca of Opiderpetonids and were most likely used to clasp while mating. The edge of the structure is finely serrated, and it is covered in enamel.[3]
| Euctenius Temporal range: Pennsylvanian,
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Infraphylum: | Gnathostomata |
| Genus: | †Euctenius Traquair, 1881 |
| Type species | |
| †Ctenoptychius unilateralis | |
References
edit- ^ a b "Euctenius ✝". mindat.org. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Ctenoptychius". mindat.org. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ a b Moodie, Roy L. (1908). "The Clasping Organs of Extinct and Recent Amphibia". The Biological Bulletin. 14 (4): 249–259. doi:10.2307/1535616. ISSN 0006-3185 – via JSTOR.
- ^ "PBDB Taxon". paleobiodb. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
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