The postcranial skeletal anatomy of the carboniferous tetrapod Greererpeton burkemorani Romer, 1969

The Royal Society - Tập 323 Số 1213 - Trang 75-133 - 1989
Stephen J. Godfrey1
1Redpath Musem, McGill Universty, 859 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2K6

Tóm tắt

The discovery of well-preserved skeletal remains of Greererpeton burkemorani Romer, 1969, from the Upper Mississippian at Greer, West Virginia, has prompted a redescription of its postcranial skeletal anatomy. The vertebrae are rhachitomous, more specifically schizomerous. The presacral count is approximately 41. Neural arch elements of the atlas-axis complex consist of paired pro- and atlas arches and a relatively massive axis arch. All presacral vertebrae appear to have borne short, gently curved ribs, most of which developed a flange or stiletto-like uncinate process. The sacral rib is long. In adults, the scapulocoracoid and the dermal pectoral girdle are large and well ossified. The ascending iliac blade is undivided and the pubis is poorly ossified. A cladistic analysis indicates that Greererpeton burkemorani shares a more recent common ancestor with the anthracosaur Proterogyrinus scheelei than it does with either Crassigyrinus scoticus or Ichthyostega sp.

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The Royal Society

Tập 323 Số 1213

75-133

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