| Phonerpeton Temporal range: Early Permian | |
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| Phonerpeton pricei skull | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | † Temnospondyli |
| Family: | † Trematopidae |
| Genus: | † Phonerpeton Dilkes, 1990 |
| Species | |
Phonerpeton is an extinct genus of dissorophoid temnospondyl within the family Trematopidae that is known from the early Permian of Texas. [1]
Phonerpeton was first named by Dilkes (1990), with Phonerpeton pricei as the only species. [1] The genus name comes from the Greek words 'phonos' (murderous) and 'herpeton' (creeper). The holotype of P. pricei was previously described by Olson (1941) as Acheloma pricei. [2] Dilkes also synonymized this species with Acheloma whitei, which was also described by Olson (1941). Material referred to the taxon comes from the Archer City, Nocona, and Petrolia Formations and was collected between 1934 and 1952 by parties led by A.S. Romer, L.I. Price, and R.V Witter. Schoch & Milner (2014) separated the former 'Acheloma whitei' from P. pricei, distinguishing it by the shorter and more rounded external naris and an otic notch that was not slit-like. [3] They restricted P. pricei to the specimens from the Archer City Formation and P. whitei to the specimens from the Petrolia Formation.
Phonerpeton is represented only by relatively small specimens compared to the much larger Acheloma. Dilkes (1990) diagnosed Phonerpeton by the semilunar curvature of the squamosal, doming of the parietals along the midline, a closed basicranial joint with a clear suture between the pterygoid and the basipterygoid process of the parasphenoid (the basicranial joint), an unossified sphenethmoid, long and slender mid-dorsal ribs, a radius with a semicircular cross section, and a ridge along the anterolateral edge of the ulna. He differentiated it from Acheloma by the large and posteriorly open otic notch, a posterodorsal process of the quadrate consisting of two sheets of bone separated by a poorly ossified region, a semilunar curvature of the squamosal, and an unfused basicranial joint. Schoch & Milner (2014) retained only the absence of a slit-like notch (which is found in Acheloma) in the diagnosis.
Phonerpeton is typically recovered as being most closely related to the other long-snouted trematopid from North America, Acheloma. Phylogeny below from Polley & Reisz (2011): [4]
| Dissorophoidea |
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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, temnospondyl amphibians that flourished during the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods. The clade is known almost exclusively from North America.
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 armour-like bony plates that distinguish them from the modern soft-bodied lissamphibians.
Dendrerpeton is a genus of an extinct group of temnospondyl amphibians. Its fossils have been found primarily in the Joggins Formation of Eastern Canada and in Ireland. It lived during the Carboniferous and is said to be around 309–316 million years of age, corresponding to more specifically the Westphalian (stage) age. Of terrestrial temnospondyl amphibians evolution, it represents the first stage. Although multiple species have been proposed, the species unanimously recognized is D. acadianum. This species name comes from “Acadia” which is a historical name for the Nova Scotia region as a French colony. It refers to the location of the coal field at which the fossil was found.
Acheloma is an extinct genus of temnospondyl that lived during the Early Permian. The type species is A. cumminsi.
Actinodon is an extinct genus of eryopoidean temnospondyl within the family Eryopidae.
Trematopidae is a family of dissorophoid temnospondyl 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.
Ecolsonia is an extinct genus of trematopid temnospondyl. Its phylogenetic position within Olsoniformes has been historically debated, but it is presently considered to be a trematopid.
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.
Tersomius is an extinct genus of dissorophoid temnospondyl within the family Micropholidae. It is known from the early Permian of North America.
Pasawioops is an extinct genus of early Permian dissorophoid temnospondyl within the clade Amphibamiformes.
Rubeostratilia is an extinct genus of amphibamiform temnospondyl from the early Permian of Texas. It is known from a single skull. This genus was named by Hélène Bourget and Jason S. Anderson in 2011, and the type species is Rubeostratilia texensis. The genus name comes from the Latin translation of 'redbeds' in reference to the Texas redbeds that produced both the holotype and many other early Permian fossils. The specific name is for the state of Texas. The holotype and only known specimen was collected in 1941 from the Nocona Formation exposures in Clay County by a Works Projects Administration project that was transferred to the Field Museum of Natural History through an interinstitutional exchange with the Texas Memorial Museum.
Olsoniformes is a 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.
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.
Richards Spur is a Permian fossil locality located at the Dolese Brothers Limestone Quarry north of Lawton, Oklahoma. The locality preserves clay and mudstone fissure fills of a karst system eroded out of Ordovician limestone and dolomite, with the infilling dating to the Artinskian stage of the early Permian (Cisuralian), around 289 to 286 million years ago. Fossils of terrestrial animals are abundant and well-preserved, representing one of the most diverse Paleozoic tetrapod communities known. A common historical name for the site is Fort Sill, in reference to the nearby military base. Fossils were first reported at the quarry by workers in 1932, spurring a wave of collecting by local and international geologists. Early taxa of interest included the abundant reptile Captorhinus and microsaurs such as Cardiocephalus and Euryodus. Later notable discoveries include Doleserpeton, the most diverse assortment of parareptiles in the Early Permian, and the rare early diapsid Orovenator.
