Albanerpetontid amphibians from the Cretaceous of Spain

Autor:	Susan E. Evans, Gerard McGowan
Rok vydání:	1995
Předmět:	Amphibian Albanerpeton Multidisciplinary biology Lineage (evolution) Zoology Albanerpetontidae Lissamphibia biology.organism_classification Cretaceous Cladistics Paleontology biology.animal Las Hoyas
Zdroj:	Scopus-Elsevier
ISSN:	1476-4687 0028-0836
Popis:	ALBANERPETONTIDS are a group of enigmatic salamander-like fossil amphibians known from deposits of middle Jurassic to Miocene age across Euramerica and Central Asia. Throughout a long history they remained remarkably conservative but can be diagnosed by a suite of unique derived character states, including an anterior peg-and-socket joint between the mandibles, non-pedicellate tricuspate teeth, a distinctive polygonal dermal sculpture pattern, and a two-part craniovertebral joint analogous to that of amniotes. Previous interpretations have placed albanerpetontids within salamanders1, 2 or as a separate amphibian group3, 4. We report here on the recovery of the first complete albanerpetontid specimens (including traces of skin and possible male courtship glands) from the early Cretaceous of Spain. The new material supports the interpretation of albanerpetontids as predominantly terrestrial animals. Albanerpetontids resemble salamanders only in retaining an unspecialized tailed body form; cladistic analysis suggests they represent a distinct lissamphibian lineage.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_dedup___::448fb2bc7bad4876a6755d16117a93f9 https://doi.org/10.1038/373143a0 Zobrazit plný text záznamu