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Re: Triassic critter



/Koiloskiosaurus coburgensis/ (that's the spelling here),

Bingo.

calls it a Stammreptil ('a stem reptile')

It's an Early Triassic procolophonid. The name, "hollow-skeleton lizard", alludes to the fact that the specimen is a natural mold. In other words: it has a plastotype. The bone is gone, and von Huene had to pour plaster or something into the cavities before removing the rock around them.


Hohlsaurier

GAAAH GAAAH GAAAH GAAAH GAAAH!!!

(Explanation: Once upon a while I encounter German popular publications that try to translate all scientific names -- that is, make up new German words that nobody knows --, presumably to make them easier to understand or at least to remember. A few labels in the museum here in Vienna are like this. In 90 % of the cases (cf. Sturgeon's Revelation) the results are entirely counterproductive, and highly embarrassing in addition. In this case, "hohl" is "hollow", the skeleton is swept under the carpet, and the "Saurier" part means... well... nothing.)

which apparently have some amphibian-like characteristics.

A couple of plesiomorphies that procolophonids have because they aren't diapsids.