Osteology of the Permian temnospondyl amphibian <i>Glanochthon lellbachae</i> and its relationships
<p>The early Permian Meisenheim Formation of the Saar–Nahe Basin (Germany) is famous for its richness in vertebrate fossils, among which the temnospondyls were present with microvores and fish-eating apex predators. The latter trophic guild was occupied exclusively by the genus <i>Sclero...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Fossil Record |
| Online Access: | https://fr.copernicus.org/articles/24/49/2021/fr-24-49-2021.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>The early Permian Meisenheim Formation of the Saar–Nahe Basin
(Germany) is famous for its richness in vertebrate fossils, among which the
temnospondyls were present with microvores and fish-eating apex predators.
The latter trophic guild was occupied exclusively by the genus
<i>Sclerocephalus</i> in that basin within a long time interval up to M8, whereas in M9, a new
taxon, <i>Glanochthon lellbachae</i>, appeared. This taxon is defined by (1) a preorbital region 1.8–2.0 times as long as the postorbital skull table, (2) dermal ornament with tall
radial ridges, (3) a prefrontal anteriorly wider with straight lateral margin,
(4) a squamosal posteriorly only half as wide as the quadratojugal, (5) phalanges
of manus and pes long and gracile, (6) carpals unossified in adults, and (7) tail substantially longer than skull and trunk combined. Phylogenetic
analysis finds that <i>G. lellbachae</i> forms the basal sister taxon of the stratigraphically
younger <i>G. angusta</i> and <i>G. latirostre</i> and that this clade nests within the paraphyletic taxon
<i>Sclerocephalus</i>, with <i>S. nobilis</i> forming the sister taxon of the genus <i>Glanochthon</i> (urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3038F794-17B9-4FCA-B241-CCC3F4423651; registration date: 15 March 2021).</p> |
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| ISSN: | 2193-0066 2193-0074 |