| Ecolsonia | |
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| Ecolsonia skull | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | † Temnospondyli |
| Family: | † Trematopidae |
| Genus: | † Ecolsonia Vaughn, 1969 |
Ecolsonia is an extinct genus of trematopid temnospondyl. Its phylogenetic position within Olsoniformes has been historically debated, [1] [2] but it is presently considered to be a trematopid. [3] [4]
The holotype of Ecolsonia is a partial skull that was collected in 1963 from the VanderHoof quarry in the Early Permian Cutler Formation of New Mexico. [1] The specimen was originally reposited at the now defunct University of California, Los Angeles Vertebrate Paleontology collections. The genus name is for the American paleontologist Everett C. Olson, and the species name is for the geologic provenance. A number of more complete specimens from the Morfin quarry in the Cutler Formation were discovered in 1983 and described by Berman et al. (1985), including a complete skull and large amounts of postcranial material. These specimens are currently reposited at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Schoch & Milner (2014) listed seven features in the diagnosis of Ecolsonia: (1) tabular and squamosal frame otic fenestra; (2) prefrontal and postfrontal separated (shared with most other trematopids); (3) preorbital region of equal length to posterior skull table; (4) vomer with a posteromedial process meeting the pterygoid (shared with other trematopids); (5) a supratemporal that is twice as long as it is wide; (6) triangular patch of denticles on the parasphenoid (shared with other trematopids); and (7) basipterygoid region unsutured (shared with some other trematopids). [4] Trematopid synapomorphies include the posterior process of the vomer, the denticles on the parasphenoid, and the supinator process of the humerus. A large number of small scales were also found with some specimens of Ecolsonia that probably covered the entire body, a feature similar to that seen in the trematopid Anconastes ; these are distinct from the osteoderms of dissorophids that are only associated with the vertebral column.
Ecolsonia was originally classified as a trematopid by Vaughn (1969). At this time, only one other currently recognized trematopid was known (Acheloma and its junior synonym Trematops), in comparison to 13 known dissorophids, but Vaughn noted that the proportions of the skull, the sutural patterns, and the elongate naris were all features similar to those of Acheloma. Berman et al. (1985) classified Ecolsonia as a dissorophid in part because features considered to be diagnostic of trematopids were also found in other taxa interpreted as dissorophids, Actiobates peabodyi (now a trematopid) and Longiscitula houghae (now a junior synonym of the dissorophid Dissorophus multicinctus ). In general, these authors considered many of the features that now link Ecolsonia to trematopids to be convergences acquired independently in dissorophids, a hypothesis that is no longer widely accepted or supported by phylogenetic analyses. [3] [5] [6]
Cacops, is a genus of dissorophid temnospondyls from the Kungurian stage of the early Permian of the United States. Cacops is one of the few olsoniforms whose ontogeny is known. Cacops fossils were almost exclusively known from the Cacops Bone Bed of the Lower Permian Arroyo Formation of Texas for much of the 20th century. New material collected from the Dolese Brothers Quarry, near Richards Spur, Oklahoma in the past few decades has been recovered, painting a clearer picture of what the animal looked and acted like.
Dissorophidae is an extinct family of medium-sized temnospondyls that flourished during the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods. The clade is known almost exclusively from North America.
Platyhystrix is an extinct temnospondyl amphibian with a distinctive sail along its back, similar to the unrelated synapsids, Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus. It lived during the boundary between the latest Carboniferous and earliest Permian periods throughout what is now known as the Four Corners, Texas, and Kansas about 300 million years ago.
Acheloma is an extinct genus of temnospondyl that lived during the Early Permian. The type species is A. cumminsi.
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.
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.
Anconastes is an extinct genus of dissorophoid temnospondyl within the family Trematopidae. It is known from two specimens from the Late Carboniferous Cutler Formation of north-central New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The genus name derives from two Greek roots, ankos and nastes ("inhabitant"), which refers to the type locality of El Cobre Canyon where the specimens were found. The specific name is derived from the Latin word vesperus ("western"). The more complete specimen, the holotype, is a partial skull with articulated mandibles and a substantial amount of the postcranial skeleton. The less complete specimen, the paratype, consists only of the right margin of the skull with an articulated mandible.
Actiobates is an extinct genus of trematopid temnospondyl that lived during the Late Carboniferous. It is known from the Garnett Quarry in Kansas.
Broiliellus is an extinct genus of dissorophoid temnospondyl within the family Dissorophidae. Broiliellus is most closely related to the genus Dissorophus, and both have been placed in the subfamily Dissorophinae. Broiliellus is known from five species from the Early Permian: the type species is Broiliellus texensis, and the other species are Broiliellus brevis,Broiliellus olsoni, Broiliellus arroyoensis, and Broiliellus reiszi. An additional species, Broiliellus novomexicanus, which was originally named Aspidosaurus novomexicanus, is now thought to fall outside the genus as a member of the subfamily Eucacopinae.
Dissorophus (DI-soh-ROH-fus) is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian that lived during the Early Permian Period about 273 million years ago. Its fossils have been found in Texas and in Oklahoma in North America. Its heavy armor and robust build indicate Dissorophus was active on land, similar to other members of the clade Dissorophidae that are known from the Late Carboniferous to the Early Permian periods. Dissorphus is distinguished by its small body size, disproportionately large head and short trunk.
Phonerpeton is an extinct genus of dissorophoid temnospondyl within the family Trematopidae that is known from the early Permian of Texas.
Tersomius is an extinct genus of dissorophoid temnospondyl within the family Micropholidae. It is known from the early Permian of North America.
Fedexia is an extinct genus of carnivorous temnospondyl within the family Trematopidae. It lived 300 million years ago during the late Carboniferous period. It is estimated to have been 2 feet (0.61 m) long, and likely resembled a salamander. Fedexia is known from a single skull found in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. It is named after the shipping service FedEx, which owned the land where the holotype specimen was first found.
Pasawioops is an extinct genus of early Permian dissorophoid temnospondyl within the clade Amphibamiformes.
Olsoniformes is an extinct clade of dissorophoid temnospondyls, including the families Dissorophidae and Trematopidae. Most members of the clade were highly adapted to a terrestrial lifestyle. The clade was named in 2008 and is defined as the least inclusive clade containing Dissorophus multicinctus and Acheloma cumminsi but not Amphibamus grandiceps, Micromelerpeton credneri, or Apateon pedestris. Olsoniforms share various features such as a stout and low ilium and a thin cultriform process. The earliest-branching olsoniform is Palodromeus bairdi, from the Late Carboniferous of Ohio.
Perryella is an extinct genus of dvinosaurian(?) temnospondyl from the Permian of Oklahoma.
Parioxys is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian from the Early Permian of Texas.
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.
Nanobamus is an extinct genus of amphibamiform temnospondyl amphibian. The type species is Nanobamus macrorhinus. The type specimen is UCLAVP 3686, a skull recovered from the Lower Permian Arroyo Formation.
Amphibamiformes is an unranked clade with Dissorophoidea created by Schoch (2018). It encompasses all of the taxa traditionally considered to be "amphibamids", branchiosaurids, and hypothetically lissamphibians under the traditional temnospondyl hypothesis of lissamphibian origins. These taxa are typically small-bodied dissorophoids and form the sister group to Olsoniformes, which comprises dissorophids and trematopids.
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