Albanerpetontidae

Graphical live reconstruction of Albanerpeton

• Europe
• North America
• Morocco
• Uzbekistan

The Albanerpetontidae are an extinct family of Lissamphibia ( extant amphibians). Fossils of animals are known from the Middle Jurassic to the Pliocene. They have been found in North America, Europe, Morocco and Uzbekistan. The type genus is Albanerpeton.

Features

The Albanerpetontidae look quite similar to today's salamander. They had a long and flexible body. The chest had short ribs. The tail is thin and the limbs were strongly built compared to the salamanders. Derived features ( synapomorphies ) of the Albanerpetontidae can be found in the skull: The frontalia have grown to a triangular element together, a striking extension is contacted with the premaxillary bone, the nasal bone and the lacrimal bone. The articulation of the lower jaw to the skull is vertical. The cervical vertebrae are built unusual. There are only two cervical vertebrae, the atlas and axis, are provided which are fused with the first thoracic vertebra. This structure of the neck stiffened his neck, possibly as an adaptation to a subterranean grave lifestyle.

System

Due to the similarity with the salamanders the Albanerpetontidae were often put to the salamanders. Recent studies have shown that the Albanerpetontidae are the sister group of the Batrachia, ie of the taxon which the salamanders and frogs summarizing. Primitive than the Albanerpetontidae the caecilians, all three taxa are as Lissamphibia are summarized.

Cladogram:

Caecilians

Albanerpetontidae

Caudates

Anura

Genera

• Albanerpeton
• Anoualerpeton
• Celtedens
• Wesserpeton