A new specimen of Baphetes from Nà½Å™any, Czech Republic and the intrinsic relationships of the Baphetidae

Milner, Angela C; Milner, Andrew R.; Walsh, Stig A

A new specimen of Baphetes from Nà½Å™any, Czech Republic and the intrinsic relationships of the Baphetidae

Resource type

Journal article

Creator (person)

Milner, Angela C

Milner, Andrew R.

Walsh, Stig A

Date published

2009

Abstract

'Loxomma'bohemicum from the Upper Carboniferous assemblage from Nà½Å™any, Czech Republic, is a nomen dubium restricted to the type and only specimen. The new binomen Baphetes orientalis is created for a skull referred to Baphetes bohemicus by later authors. A previously undescribed baphetid specimen from Nà½Å™any is referred to B. orientalis despite differences in skull proportions. It comprises a skull in dorsal aspect, mandibles and some associated postcranial elements. The skull possesses sclerotic ring elements within the orbital region of the dorsal fenestration of the skull, confirming the eye location. The elongate gastralia are arranged perpendicular to the interclavicle edge in contrast to the condition in temnospondyls and colosteids. Cladistic analysis of 24 characters of 11 baphetoids was carried out using Acanthostega and Crassigyrinus as outgroups. Eucritta was the most primitive baphetoid, with Spathicephalus being the sister-taxon to the remaining taxa, justifying a monotypic Spathicephalidae as a sister-taxon to the Baphetidae. The Baphetidae are divided into a subfamily Baphetinae nom.nov. containing two Baphetes species; and a subfamily Loxommatinae with Loxomma as a paraphyletic grade leading to a Megalocephalus +Kyrinion clade. The Linton taxon 'Baphetes' lintonensis is transferred to the genus Loxomma to give the new combination Loxomma lintonensis.