The Coal Measures Amphibia of North AmericaMoodie, Roy Lee
Science
The Coal Measures Amphibia of North America
Moodie, Roy Lee
Amphibians, Fossil -- North America; Paleontology -- Carboniferous; Paleontology -- North America
The cranial elements are for the most part destroyed, but the outlines of
a few can be determined. Those elements which are preserved are ornamented
with a sculpturing of minute punctulations which, on the postfrontal,
assumes a radiating arrangement. The ornamentation of the other elements
consists of inosculating pits, but they seldom assume the form of ridges
or grooves. The bones of the premaxillary region of the cranium are
lacking. The first element which can be detected is the pref rental, which
occupies a position in front of the orbit. There seems to be space for
a lacrimal, but its outline is not distinct. The frontal can be readily
separated and is seen to be an elongate element occupying the median
region of the skull between the orbits. The parietal is apparently the
largest element of the cranial roof and the pineal foramen is located in
the anterior fourth of the median suture separating the parietal elements.
The form of the postparietal and the tabulare can not be determined, as
the greater part of this region is lacking. The squamosal seems to be
located well forward and is rather small, but has the usual relation of
this element. Only fragments of the other elements remain and nothing
can be said of their form. The mandibles of both sides are represented
by depressions, and they are ornamented with longitudinal grooves and
ridges. The teeth are not preserved, but there are evidences of the
maxillary teeth. These are minute and sharply conical. Just posterior to
the skull there is preserved the impression of a short, round rod which is
not definitely determined. It may be an element of the hyoid apparatus,
although it is rather stout for such. It does not have the relations
indicated by Cope in his figure (123, pl. XXXIV, fig. 1).
[Illustration: Fig. 19. Drawing of skull and skeletal elements of
_Tuditanus punctulatus_ Cope from the Coal Measures of Linton, Ohio. ×
1.5. _fr_, frontal; _ic_, interclavicle; _cl_, clavicle; _h_, humerus;
_ph_, phalanges; _par_, parietal; _pp_, postparietal; _tab_, tabulare,
supratemporal and squamosal; _u_, ulna; _r_, radius.]
There are three elements of the pectoral girdle preserved. These
undoubtedly represent the interclavicle and the clavicles. The
interclavicle is rhomboid in shape and is attenuated posteriorly. The
attenuation is abruptly truncate posteriorly and it is thus of quite
a different character from the acutely pointed interclavicle of _T.
minimus_. The clavicle has a somewhat semicircular form, but is not
attenuated at either end. It seems to be uniformly broad.
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