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A new “microsaur” (Amphibia; Lepospondyli) from the Rotliegend of the Saar–Palatinate region (Carboniferous/Permian transition; West Germany)

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Abstract

Altenglanerpeton schroederi n. sp. is documented by a skeleton preserved in dorsal view from the Altenglan Formation of the Saar–Nahe Basin. The only known species of this new genus has a massive skull that is slightly longer than wide with a more or less triangular outline, without traces of lateral-line canals, with a small round orbit, very wide interorbital region, and the jugal extending far in front of the orbit. The long, undifferentiated trunk region comprises at least 30 lepospondylous presacral vertebrae. The pelvic girdle, hind limbs, and tail are not preserved. The forelimb is small and poorly ossified. The cladogram supports placement of Altenglanerpeton in the Recumbirostra. The new genus seems closest to Tambaroter, the Goniorhynchidae, and Brachystelechidae, with the largest number of morphological similarities shared with the Ostodolepidae, particularly with Micraroter and Pelodosotis.

Kurzfassung

Altenglanerpeton schroederi n. sp. ist durch ein von der Dorsalseite erhaltenes Exemplar aus der Altenglan-Formation des Saar–Nahe-Beckens überliefert. Die einzige Art dieser neuen Gattung besitzt einen massiven Schädel, kaum länger als breit mit annähernd dreieckigem Umriss, ohne Anzeichen für Seitenlinien, mit kleiner rundlicher Orbita, sehr breiter Interorbitalregion und bis weit vor die Orbita reichendem Jugale. Der lange undifferenzierte Rumpf umfasst mindestens 30 lepospondyle Präsakralwirbel. Becken, Hinterextremität und Schwanz sind nicht erhalten. Die Vorderextremität ist klein und schwach verknöchert. Das Kladogramm zeigt, dass Altenglanerpeton innerhalb der Recumbirostra dem Tambaroter sowie den Goniorhynchidae und Brachystelechidae am nächsten steht. Die meisten morphologischen Gemeinsamkeiten bestehen mit den Ostodolepiden Micraroter und Pelodosotis.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks are due to J. A. Boy for supervising this study, which was supported by the DFG in connection of a project and to H.-D. Sues (Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington) for translating the manuscript into English. In addition I want to express my thanks to J. Fenner (Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Dienstbereich Berlin) for lending Altenglanerpeton. H. Lutz (Naturhistorisches Museum Mainz/Landessammlung für Naturkunde Rheinland-Pfalz), O. Hampe (Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt Universität zu Berlin) and R. Schoch (Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde in Stuttgart) made their material available for comparison. R. Winkler, M. Röthel (Museum für Mineralogie und Geologie, Staatliche Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden) and A. Friebe (Sächsisches Landesamt für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Geologie in Freiberg) allowed me to make casts from all microsaurs from Saxony. The following people allowed me access to their collections: U. Göhlich (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, geologisch-paläontologische Abteilung), B. Ekrt (Nationalmuseum Prag), D. Goujet (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris), T. Rowe, L. K. Murray, J. Olori (Texas Memorial Museum, Austin), M. Carrano, M. K. Brett-Surman (Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington), F. A. Jenkins, Jr. (Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology), A. C. Milner and A. R. Milner (British Museum of Natural History (Department of Palaeontology) in London). J. S. Anderson (University of Calgary) provided the data of his cladistic analysis from 2007. D. Mertz (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Allgemeine Geologie) kindly made an office available after there was no space for me and my work in the new department of paleontology. Helpful comments were provided by the two reviewers J. Clack and J. S. Anderson.

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  1. Institut für Geowissenschaften, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Becherweg 21, 55099, Mainz, Germany

    Sabine Glienke

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  1. Sabine Glienke
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Correspondence to Sabine Glienke.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 1, 2.

Table 1 152 characters taken from Anderson (2007)
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Table 2 List of the characters: For Altenglanerpeton, Batropetes, and Tambaroter all characters were scored first-hand, those for Quasicaecilia, Carrolla, Microbrachis and Pantylus were checked and revised where necessary (changes are written in bold). The other data were taken from Anderson (2007)
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Glienke, S. A new “microsaur” (Amphibia; Lepospondyli) from the Rotliegend of the Saar–Palatinate region (Carboniferous/Permian transition; West Germany). Paläontol Z 86, 297–311 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-012-0130-8

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