Print ISSN: 0031-0247
Online ISSN: 2274-0333
Frequency: biannual
Historical dicoveries of paleogene mammals
Abstract book of the 18th Conference of the EAVP
A new Pliocene Gerbillinae from South Africa
Physogaleus hemmooriensis, a new shark species from the early to middle Miocene of the north sea basin
Diversity changes in South American Cenozoic mammals
Eocene (56) , Quercy Phosphorites (37) , Systematics (31) , Rodents (29) , Mammalia (26)
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The skull of Tetraceratops insignis (Synapsida, Sphenacodontia)Frederik SpindlerKeywords: cranium; pelycosaur; Permian; therapsid originsdoi: 10.18563/pv.43.1.e1 Abstract Tetraceratops insignis is known from a single, crushed skull from the Lower Permian of Texas. Its unique proportions and osteological details gained central meaning in the question of the origins of Therapsida since this early synapsid has been determined as the oldest and less derived therapsid. Apart from Tetraceratops, the ‘mammal-like’ Therapsida and their sister, the pelycosaur-grade Sphenacodontidae, are separated by one of the longest ghost lineages in tetrapod fossil record. However, the minor, though well justified critique faced insistent publication regarding the therapsid hypothesis. A carefull re-evaluation of the holotypic skull reveals that therapsid traits cannot be supported, including a rejection of the formerly supposed adductor shelf in the temporal fenestra. Increased understanding of ‘pelycosaur’ character variation underlines a haptodontine-grade or, less likely, sphenacodontid position for Tetraceratops. Article infos Published in Vol 43-1 (2020) |
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