biology

Opisthodontosaurus

Opisthodontosaurus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Opisthodontosaurus rather than just read about it. In short: Opisthodontosaurus is an extinct genus of captorhinid reptile from the Early Permian of Oklahoma. The type species Opisthodontosaurus carrolli was named in 2015 on the basis of several articulated skeletons from the Dolese Brothers Limestone Quarry near Richards Spur.

Key takeaways

Opisthodontosaurus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Opisthodontosaurus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Opisthodontosaurus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Opisthodontosaurus is an extinct genus of captorhinid reptile from the Early Permian of Oklahoma. The type species Opisthodontosaurus carrolli was named in 2015 on the basis of several articulated skeletons from the Dolese Brothers Limestone Quarry near Richards Spur. Before the description of these skeletons, the jaws and teeth of Opisthodontosaurus carrolli were thought to belong to a species of lepospondyl amphibian called Euryodus primus. Although captorhinid reptiles and lepospondyl amphibians are distantly related, the two species show a remarkable degree of evolutionary convergence in their dental anatomy. Both were likely durophagous, eating hard-shelled invertebrates.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Opisthodontosaurus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Opisthodontosaurus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Opisthodontosaurus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Opisthodontosaurus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Opisthodontosaurus

In research: Opisthodontosaurus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Opisthodontosaurus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Opisthodontosaurus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Captorhinidae, Permian reptiles of North America, Permian stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Opisthodontosaurus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Opisthodontosaurus” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Opisthodontosaurus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Opisthodontosaurus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Opisthodontosaurus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Opisthodontosaurus in simple terms?

Why does Opisthodontosaurus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Opisthodontosaurus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Opisthodontosaurus.