A new mesenosaurine from the lower Permian of Germany and the postcrania of Mesenosaurus: implications for early amniote comparative osteology

Spindler, Frederik; Werneburg, Ralf; Schneider, Jörg W.

doi:10.1007/s12542-018-0439-z

Cited by 13 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…An important taxon with respect to Me. efremovi is C. trostheidei , named for a headless skeleton from the Goldlauter Formation (Asselian/Sakmarian) of Germany [17]. This taxon (originally referred to as an indeterminate mesenosaurine from the Cabarz quarry) was recovered as the sister taxon to Me.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spindler et al . [17] identified only a few qualitative features (captured in five phylogenetic characters) that differentiate C. trostheidei from Me. romeri .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Synapsid diversity during the Cisuralian is characterized primarily by pelycosaurian-grade synapsids from palaeoequatorial localities of North America and Europe (e.g. [2,6,8,15,17]), whereas Guadalupian assemblages are characterized primarily by therapsids from Eurasia and South Africa [4]. Only two pelycosaurian clades extended through Olson's gap into the Guadalupian: caseids and varanopids.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, we elected not to use the matrix of Spindler et al . [15] because of some complications that result from the description of Cabarzia trostheidei , a taxon known only from a headless skeleton [17]; further comments are provided in Discussion. Character codings were left mostly unchanged from that of Brocklehurst et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A new varanopid synapsid from the early Permian of Oklahoma and the evolutionary stasis in this clade

2019

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Varanopids are a basal clade of small- to medium-sized non-therapsid synapsids, whose range extends from the late Pennsylvanian to the late middle Permian, and are found in North America, Russia, Europe and South Africa. The greatest varanopid diversity is observed at the fossiliferous cave deposits near Richards Spur, Oklahoma, well known for the preservation of a complex early Permian upland community. Two previously described varanopids, Mycterosaurus and Varanops, are known only from fragmentary disarticulated material at Richards Spur. A third putative varanopid, Basicranodon fortsillensis, represented by a partial parasphenoid, has been synonymized with Mycterosaurus longiceps. This study reports on a new varanopid taxon, represented by substantially more complete material, including three nearly complete skulls. Such comprehensive cranial material allows for a detailed study of the taxon and its relationship to other varanopids. This new varanopid bears great morphological similarity to Mesenosaurus romeri from the middle Permian Mezen River Basin of northern Russia. Phylogenetic analysis recovers a sister relationship between this taxon and Me. romeri. This relationship, in conjunction with a detailed morphological comparison, supports the placement of this taxon within Mesenosaurus, as a new species, Me. efremovi. These results reveal an unexpected extension of the geographical and temporal range of Mesenosaurus, contributing to our understanding of varanopid dispersal. The extended persistence of this basal clade of predatory synapsids, underscored by the apparent evolutionary stasis of this genus, is unusual among Palaeozoic tetrapods. This phenomenon implies an exceptionally high degree of extended ecological resilience across major faunal and environmental transitions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Spindler et al . [17] identified only a few qualitative features (captured in five phylogenetic characters) that differentiate C. trostheidei from Me. romeri .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A new varanopid synapsid from the early Permian of Oklahoma and the evolutionary stasis in this clade

2019

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“…In the late Paleozoic, synapsids were the dominant amniotes and evolved a great spectrum of adaptations, starting in the Carboniferous. During the last years, new descriptions included unexpected morphologies that dramatically increase the understanding of synapsid ecological success (Spindler et al, 2018(Spindler et al, , 2019b. The recent discovery of a large diastema in Gordodon (Lucas et al, 2018) exhibits a highly specialized autapomorphy within the Edaphosauridae that provides an insight into previously hidden morphological diversity of this herbivorous lineage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A faunivorous early sphenacodontian synapsid with a diastema

Spindler¹

2019

Palaeontol Electron

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Our knowledge on early sphenacodontian and edaphosaurid synapsids, the group that includes the origin of the mammalian lineage, largely arose from the Pennsylvanian Garnett locality in Kansas. A preliminary revision of the former "Haptodus" garnettensis found a greater diversity in the assigned material. The most striking deviation from the documented osteology is seen in a specimen comprising a lacrimal and associated maxilla. The diagnosis of this new form, Kenomagnathus scottae gen. et sp. nov., comprises a tall and shortened facial region, only two precanine teeth, and a distinct diastema. This is the oldest known diastema in synapsid evolution, and the first reported from a faunivorous member that lacks a precanine step, aside from Tetraceratops. This unique precanine morphology occurred independently from similar structures in Sphenacodontoidea. As for the edaphosaurid Gordodon, a specialized function in food processing is assumed for the diastema.

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