Cheliderpeton (often misspelled Chelyderpeton) is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian. It lived during the Early Permian in what is now Europe. Fossils have been found from the Ruprechtice horizon of the Intrasudetic Basin of Bohemia in the Czech Republic, as well as the Saar-Nahe Basin of southwestern Germany. Cheliderpeton had a 16cm skull, and reached about 65cm in length.[1]
Life restoration of Cheliderpeton vranyi
The type species of Cheliderpeton is Chelidosaurus vranyi, named in 1877 by the CzechpaleontologistAntonin Fritsch and found from the Czech Republic.[2] The preoccupied generic name, referring to the trunk armour of turtles, was first changed into Chelydosaurus in 1885 and finally into Cheliderpeton in 1887. A second species named C. latirostre was described in 1993 by J. A. Boy from Germany, after having been assigned to Archegosaurus.[3] It differs from the type in having a less extensive preorbital region of the skull, a wider cheek region, and a snout tip that is less round and has lateral projections. Currently the two species are the only ones known to belong to Cheliderpeton, although there have been more assigned in the past that are now considered to be synonymous with the known species. "Actinodon germanicus", described by O. Kuhn in 1939 on the basis of a specimen found from the Czech Republic,[4][5] It is now known to be an unusually large individual of C. vranyi, probably in a late stage of ontogenic development.[6]
It has been suggested that C. latirostre may belong to a separate genus, either to Archegosaurus or its own distinct taxon, due to several differences between it and the type species. These differences include the concave outline of the skull roof, the expanded snout seen in adult individuals (similar to Archegosaurus decheni), and a nasal-maxilla contact in the adult stage.[6] In 2009, C. latirostre was placed in its own genus, Glanochthon.[7]
Cheliderpeton is closely related to the genus Intasuchus from the northern pre-Ural region of Russia. Both share similarities in skull shape, as well as a short and expanded dorsal branch of the ilium and a premaxilla-maxilla suture that is anterior to the choana.[3] Fossils of temnospondyls similar in appearance to Cheliderpeton have been found from the Autun Basin and the basin of Bourbon l'Archambault in France.[8][9]
Fossil
Cheliderpeton may be a member of the familyArchegosauridae or the family Intasuchidae. The family Archegosauridae belongs to the superfamilyArchegosauroidea, but it is unsure whether Intasuchus, the type species of Intasuchidae, belongs to Archegosauroidea or the family Eryopidae, within the superfamily Eryopoidea. Thus it is unsure whether Cheliderpeton is an eryopoid (and perhaps more specifically an eryopid) or an archegosauroid. Cheliderpeton had previously been placed in the family Actinodontidae along with Actinodon, Syndyodosuchus and Sclerocephalus,[10] but because Actinodon, the type genus of the family, is a junior synonym of the eryopid Onchiodon, the family is now considered polyphyletic.[6]
↑ Fritsch, A. (1877). "Ueber einen neuen Saurier aus den Kalksteinen der Permformation (U. Dyas) aus Braunau in Böhmen". Verlag der königlich-böhmischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften. 1877: 1–3.
1 2 Boy, J. A. (1993). "Über einige Vertreter der Eryopidea (Amphibia: Temnospondyli) aus dem europäschen Rotliegend (?höchstes Karbon-Perm). 4. Cheliderpeton latirostre". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 67 (1/2): 123–143. doi:10.1007/bf02985874. S2CID126947653.
↑ "A. germanicus", was named during the time when Germany occupied Bohemia, hence the specific name.
1 2 3 Werneburg, R.; Steyer, J. S. (2002). "Revision of Cheliderpeton vranyi Fritsch, 1877 (Amphibia, Temnospondyli) from the Lower Permian of Bohemia (Czech Republic)". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 76 (1): 149–162. Bibcode:2002PalZ...76..149W. doi:10.1007/BF02988193. S2CID129307253.
↑ Schoch, R.R.; Witzmann, F. (2009). "The temnospondyl Glanochthon from the Permian Meisenheim Formation of Germany". Special Papers in Palaeontology. 81: 121–136.
↑ Steyer, J. S. (1996). "Une nouvelle espèce de Cheliderpeton (Amphibia, Temnospondyli) du Permien inférieur de Buxières-les-Mines (Allier, France). Position phylétique et relations ontogénie-phylogénie des eryopoides". DEA Report: 31p.
↑ Werenburg, R. (1997). "Der eryopide Onchiodon (Amphibia) aus dem Rotliegend des Beckens yon Autun (Frankreich)". Freiberger Forschungshefte C 466, Paläontologie, Stratigraphie, Fazies - Heft 4: 167–181.
↑ Schoch, R. R. (1997). "Cranial anatomy of the Permian temnospondyl amphibian Zatrachys serratus Cope 1878, and the phylogenetic position of the Zatrachydidae". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen. 206 (2): 223–248. doi:10.1127/njgpa/206/1997/223.
Temnospondyli or temnospondyls is a diverse ancient order of small to giant tetrapods—often considered primitive amphibians—that flourished worldwide during the Carboniferous, Permian and Triassic periods, with fossils being found on every continent. A few species continued into the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods, but all had gone extinct by the Late Cretaceous. During about 210 million years of evolutionary history, they adapted to a wide range of habitats, including freshwater, terrestrial, and even coastal marine environments. Their life history is well understood, with fossils known from the larval stage, metamorphosis and maturity. Most temnospondyls were semiaquatic, although some were almost fully terrestrial, returning to the water only to breed. These temnospondyls were some of the first vertebrates fully adapted to life on land. Although temnospondyls are amphibians, many had characteristics such as scales and large armour-like bony plates (osteoderms) that generally distinguish them from the modern soft-bodied lissamphibians.
Zatracheidae is a family of Late Carboniferous and Early Permian temnospondyls known from North America and Europe. Zatracheidids are distinguished by lateral (sideways) bony protuberances of the quadratojugal bone of the skull, and a large opening in the snout called the internarial fontanelle that is bordered by enlarged premaxillae. The skull is flattened, with small orbits or eye sockets set far back. The opening in the snout may have housed a gland for producing a sticky substance so that prey would adhere to the tongue. If so, this indicates that these animals spent a large part of their time on land.
Archegosaurus is a genus of temnospondyl amphibian which lived during the Asselian to Wuchiapingian stages of the Permian, around 299-253 million years ago. The remains of this animal, consisting of at least 90 partial skeletons, have been found in Germany. The name Archegosaurus was coined by Goldfuss in 1847. Archegosaurus is a member of Archegosauridae and is that family's type genus.
Sclerocephalus is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian from the lowermost Permian of Germany and Czech Republic with four valid species, including the type species S. haeuseri. It is one of the most completely preserved and most abundant Palaeozoic tetrapods. Sclerocephalus was once thought to be closely related to eryopoid temnospondyls, but it is now thought to be more closely related to archegosauroids. It is the only genus in the family Sclerocephalidae.
Trematosaurus is an extinct genus of trematosaurid temnospondyl amphibian found in Germany and Russia. It was first named by Hermann Burmeister in 1849 and the type species is Trematosaurus brauni.
Actinodon is an extinct genus of eryopoidean temnospondyl within the family Eryopidae.
Konzhukovia is an amphibian genus that belongs to an extinct family Konzhukoviidae of temnospondyls, the largest clade of basal tetrapods including about 198 genera, 292 species, and more than half of which were alive during the early Mesozoic period. The animal was a predator that lived about 260 million years ago, and could get up to about three meters in length. Specifically, Konzukovia lived during the Permian, between 252 and 270 million years ago according to the type of rock the fossil was found in. There are three species within this genus, K. vetusta, K. tarda, and K. sangabrielensis, the first two originating from Russia while the latest originating from Southern Brazil. The discovery of this specimen in Southern Brazil provided more evidence to support the idea that during this animals existence, there was a “biological corridor” because of the supercontinent Pangea, allowing these species to be found so far apart from each other. Konzhukovia belongs to the family Archegosauridae, a family consisted of large temnospondyls that most likely compare to modern day crocodiles. Since the discovery of the latest species, K. sangabrielensis, Pacheco proposes that there must be the creation of a new family, Konzhokoviidae, a monophyletic group in a sister-group relationship with Stereospondlyi in order to accommodate the three species. Konzhukovia skulls usually exhibit typical rhinesuchid features including an overall parabolic shape, small orbits located more posteriorly, and the pterygoids do not reach the vomer. These animals were long-snouted amphibians that had clear adaptations made for fish catching, as well as exemplifying aquatic features.
Australerpeton is an extinct genus of stereospondylomorph temnospondyl currently believed to belong to the family Rhinesuchidae. When first named in 1998, the genus was placed within the new family Australerpetontidae. However, studies published a few years later questioned the systematics used in the original description and included the genus within Archegosauridae. A study by Dias & Schultz (2003) reassigned Australerpeton to the family Rhinesuchidae within the suborder Stereospondyli based on an earlier evaluation of the family. In this study, the close similarities between Australerpeton and archegosaurids were attributed to convergent evolution as a result of similar semi-aquatic lifestyles. A redescription of the skeleton of this genus was published by Eltink & Langer in 2014, and the skull was redescribed in a follow-up study published by Eltink et al. in 2016. These studies, as well as a 2017 study focusing on rhinesuchids in general, confirmed that Australerpeton was a rhinesuchid rather than an archegosaurid. Fossils of the genus have been found in the Rio do Rasto Formation of Brazil.
Trematopidae is a family of dissorophoid temnospondyls spanning the late Carboniferous to the early Permian. Together with Dissorophidae, the family forms Olsoniformes, a clade comprising the medium-large terrestrial dissorophoids. Trematopids are known from numerous localities in North America, primarily in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, and from the Bromacker quarry in Germany.
Stereospondylomorpha is a clade of temnospondyls. It includes the superfamily Archegosauroidea and the more diverse group Stereospondyli. Stereospondylomorpha was first proposed by Yates and Warren (2000), who found Archegosauroidea and Stereospondyli to be sister taxa in their phylogenetic analysis. A similar clade is Archegosauriformes, named by Schoch and Milner (2000), which includes Stereospondyli and some Permian temnospondyls that are similar in appearance to stereospondyls, including the archegosauroids. However, according to Schoch and Milner's phylogeny, Archegosauroidea is a paraphyletic group of taxa that are successively basal to Stereospondyli, rather than a monophyletic sister taxon.
Acroplous is an extinct genus of dvinosaurian Temnospondyli within the family Eobrachyopidae.
Batropetes is an extinct genus of brachystelechid recumbirostran "microsaur". Batropetes lived during the Sakmarian stage[a] of the Early Permian. Fossils attributable to the type species B. fritschi have been collected from the town of Freital in Saxony, Germany, near the city of Dresden. Additional material has been found from the Saar-Nahe Basin in southwestern Germany and has been assigned to three additional species: B. niederkirchensis, B. palatinus, and B. appelensis.
Hyperokynodon is an extinct genus of trematosaurian temnospondyl within the family Trematosauridae. Fossils have been found in Germany. While most trematosaurids existed during the Early Triassic, Hyperokynodon has been found in Late Triassic deposits, making it the youngest known trematosaurid. Hyperokynodon was known since 1852, but it was not identified as a trematosaurid until 1987. The type and only species is H. keuperinus.
Archegosauroidea is an extinct superfamily of Permian temnospondyls. The superfamily is assigned to the clade Stereospondylomorpha and is the sister taxon to the suborder Stereospondyli. It includes the families Actinodontidae and Archegosauridae, and possibly the genus Intasuchus, which is placed within the monotypic family Intasuchidae. They were fully aquatic animals, and were metabolically and physiologically more similar to fish than modern amphibians.
Altenglanerpeton is an extinct genus of microsaur tetrapod from the Late Carboniferous or Early Permian of Germany. Altenglanerpeton was named in 2012 after the Altenglan Formation in which it was found. The type and only species is A. schroederi.
Edopoidea is a clade of primitive temnospondyl amphibians including the genus Edops and the family Cochleosauridae. Edopoids are known from the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian of North America and Europe, and the Late Permian of Africa. They are among the most basal temnospondyls, and possess a number of primitive features that were lost in later members of the group.
Acanthostomatops is an extinct genus of zatracheidid temnospondyl from the Lower Permian Döhlen Basin of Saxony.
Branchiosauridae is an extinct family of small amphibamiform temnospondyls with external gills and an overall juvenile appearance. The family has been characterized by hundreds of well-preserved specimens from the Permo-Carboniferous of Middle Europe. Specimens represent well defined ontogenetic stages and thus the taxon has been described to display paedomorphy (perennibranchiate). However, more recent work has revealed branchiosaurid taxa that display metamorphosing trajectories. The name Branchiosauridae refers to the retention of gills.
Korkonterpeton is a genus of temnospondyl from the Asselian of the Prosečné Formation. Its genus is named after the Celtic name for the Krkonoše Mountains of the Czech Republic and the Ancient Greek word ἑρπετόν (herpetón), which means reptile. Thus Korkonterpeton means "reptile of the Krkonoše Mountains". The type species, Korkonterpeton kalnense was described based on a partial skeleton with a large skull, which is visible in dorsal and palatal views. The postcranial skeleton is disarticulated but with well-preserved elements, including the vertebral column and the ribs.
Stenokranio is a genus of eryopid temnospondyl from the Permo-Carboniferous Remigiusberg Formation of Germany. It is represented by the type species, Stenokranio boldi, which was named for two specimens collected from the Remigiusberg quarry near Kusel, Saar–Nahe Basin, southwest Germany.
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