Wesserpeton

• Wessex Formation ( United Kingdom)

Wesserpeton evansae is a species of amphibian from the extinct group of Albanerpetontidae. It is the only species of the genus Wesserpeton.

Description

Yet no autapomorphies the kind are known. In return, Wesserpeton evansae is distinguished by a unique combination of original and derived features from all other known species of the Albanerpetontidae. These features relate to prefrontal ( frontal ), premaxillary bone ( premaxilla ) and upper jaw (maxilla ), the dentition and body size.

With its small body size Wesserpeton similar evansae Albanerpeton arthridion, Albanerpeton pannonicum and Paskapoo - type, but differs from other Albanerpeton species, Anoualerpeton and Celtedens.

Discovery

Until now, fossils were of Wesserpeton evansae only on the Isle of Wight found. The findings are from seven horizons the Wessex Formation, which is assigned to the Barremian ( Early Cretaceous ).

System

Wesserpeton evansae was first described in 2013 by Steven C. Sweetman and James D. Gardner. The genus name Wesserpeton refers to the former British kingdom of Wessex, to which also the Isle of Wight, the locality of the type - copy belonged. The ending Peton, which has also been used in Albanerpeton, is derived from the Greek erpeton and means " creeping animal ". The species name honors the evansae Professor Susan E. Evans of University College London for their contributions to paleontology small vertebrates and understanding of the Albanerpetontidae.

Documents

• Steven C. Sweetman, James D. Gardner: A new albanerpetontid amphibian from the Barremian (Early Cretaceous ) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, southern England. In: Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 58 ( 2), 2013, pp. 295-324. doi: 10.4202/app.2011.0109.

• Amphibians
• Amphibia
• Extinct Amphibian