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New tempospondyl amphibians from the basal Triassic of the Obshchii Syrt Highland, Eastern Europe

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Abstract

Two new genera (monotypic Samarabatrachus gen. nov. (S. bjerringi sp. nov.) and Syrtosuchus gen. nov. (including S. samarensis (Sennikov, 1981) and S. morkovini sp. nov) and a new species of the genus Selenocara Bjerring (S. rossica sp. nov.) are described based on revision of the original material of the form previously known as Wetlugasaurus samarensis. The genera Selenocara and Samarabatrachus gen. nov. positioned at the base of radiation of Triassic capitosaurids are combined into a new subfamily, Selenocarinae subfam. nov. The genus Syrtosuchus gen. nov., which is undoubtedly a derivative of early capitosaurids (Selenocara or a closely related genus), shows some typical benthosuchid features and is assigned to a separate benthosuchid subfamily, Syrtosuchinae subfam. nov. The diagnoses of the genera Wetlugasaurus Riabinin and Selenocara are amended. For the territory of the Obschii Syrt Highland, the genera Selenocara, Samarabatrachus gen. nov., and Syrtosuchus gen. nov. are regarded as key members of a separate Early Triassic tetrapod assemblage (Selenocara–Syrtosuchus Fauna), which is intermediate between the Tupilakosaurus and Benthosuchus faunas and dated Late Induan (Dienerian).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya ul. 123, Moscow, 117997, Russia

    I. V. Novikov

  2. University of Dodoma, P.o.Box 259, Dodoma, Tanzania

    I. V. Novikov

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Original Russian Text © I.V. Novikov, 2016, published in Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal, 2016, No. 3, pp. 88–100.

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Novikov, I.V. New tempospondyl amphibians from the basal Triassic of the Obshchii Syrt Highland, Eastern Europe. Paleontol. J. 50, 297–310 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030116030035

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