A new Mastodonsauroid Temnospondyl from the Triassic of Algeria: Implications for the biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments of the Zarzaïtine Series, northern Sahara

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Anissa Dahoumane^a ; Ahmed Nedjari^a ; Rachid Aï ; t-Ouali^a ; Philippe Taquet^b ; ^c ; Renaud Vacant^b ; Jean-Sé ; bastien Steyer^b ; ^{steyer@mnhn.fr" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author}
• 关键词：Capitosaurians ; Lagerstä ; tte ; Olenekian ; Anisian ; Palaeoclimate ; Mass mortality
• 刊名：Comptes Rendus Palevol
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：November-December 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：15
• 期：8
• 页码：918-926
• 全文大小：2916 K

文摘

We describe a new species of mastodonsauroid temnospondyl from Algeria, Stanocephalosaurus amenasensis nov. sp., on the basis of two exquisite skulls from a Lagerstätte found in the lowermost formation of the Zarzaïtine Series, Illizi Basin, in the area of “La Reculée”, In Amenas region, Algeria. The new species is characterized by subtriangular nostrils with concave lateral borders; small orbits; postfrontals posteriorly very wide; very elongate parietals; smoothly concave posterior margin of the skull; ovoid anterior palatal vacuities; very posteriorly pointed choanae; oval interpterygoid fenestrae; and a short anterior extension of the cultriform process of the parasphenoid. S. amenasensis is different than the Algerian taxa previously erected by Lehman (1971)–“Parotosaurus lapparenti” and “Wellesaurus bussoni”–which we consider nomina dubia. It enlarges the distribution of the genus in northern Gondwana and supports the Early-Middle Triassic age of the lowermost formation of the Zarzaïtine Series. It also suggests that the local palaeoclimate was very seasonal and these aquatic amphibians died massively in a dewatering sebkha.