Mattauschia gen. nov. (for Limnerpeton laticeps Fritsch 1881).
Andrew R. Milner (2018)
Two primitive trematopid amphibians (Temnospondyli, Dissorophoidea) from the Upper Carboniferous of the Czech Republic.
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh (advance online publication)
Specimens of trematopid amphibians from the Asturian (Upper Carboniferous) of NÃÅany, Czech Republic, are redescribed as two taxa, namely Mordex calliprepes Steen and Mattauschia (gen. nov) laticeps Fritsch. Mordex calliprepes is represented by a single post-metamorphic specimen and has the diagnostic trematopid characters of the nasal region. Mattauschia laticeps is represented by one adult partial skull and mandible plus some fragments and two small post-metamorphic specimens including the species name-bearer. It has the trematopid-type modified lacrimal and a large but oval naris and appears to be the most primitive trematopid yet described. The stratigraphically sequential large trematopids Mattauschia, Fedexia, Ecolsonia and Acheloma show progressive acquisition of the derived features that characterise the terminal form Acheloma.
Mordex has a combination of primitive and derived characters and its position within the family is less clear. The many âbranchiosaurs' in the NÃÅany assemblage include specimens that could be larvae of both Mordex and Mattauschia but certain attribution is not possible and they are assigned to Olsoniformes incertae sedis. Mordex and Mattauschia appear to be terrestrial exotic elements in the NÃÅany tetrapod assemblage, but with possible larvae in the lake assemblage. Representatives of at least four Palaeozoic dissorophoid families were present in late Middle Pennsylvanian/Asturian strata implying diversification of the Dissorophoidea prior to this time.
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Mioproteus gardneri, sp. nov.Â
MÃrton Venczel & Vlad A. Codrea (2018)
A new proteid salamander from the early Oligocene of Romania with notes on the paleobiogeography of Eurasian proteids.
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Âe1508027 (advance online publication)Â
The Proteidae represent a small group of perennibranchiate salamanders with a disjunct distribution in North America and southeastern Europe. Herein, we describe a new species of proteid salamander from the early Oligocene of Romania representing the geologically oldest member reported from the Cenozoic of Eurasia. Mioproteus gardneri, sp. nov., based on features of the vomers, dentaries, atlas, and vertebrae, appears to be closely allied with M. caucasicus and M. wezei, standing altogether as the sister group of Proteus, the only living European proteid. The apomorphies of the European clade, shared with the American members Necturus and Paranecturus, include the presence of dorsoventrally flattened anterior cotyles and alar-like processes, whereas a few other characters appear to be more derived in the European forms, such as the diverging anterior cotyles of the atlas enclosing an angle of 225Â, the trunk vertebrae with strongly bifurcated neural spines, and unicipitate transverse processes. Peculiarly, the proteid remains from the early Oligocene locality of Suceag 1, Romania, were accompanied by the palaeobatrachid frog Albionbatrachus, a form closely linked to aquatic environments and having a limited fossil record in the Paleogene (upper Eocene of southern England, lower Oligocene of Romania, and upper Oligocene of Germany), suggesting that these fully aquatic groups probably used similar freshwater corridors to reach more southerly European territories.
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