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 forearm of the right side is preserved in part. The humerus is seen
to be a heavy, somewhat expanded element lying displaced with relation
to the pectoral girdle. It is greatly expanded at the ends. The ulna
presents characters similar to the humerus and only differs from it in
being shorter and less stout. The radius is not preserved. The carpus
is unossified and its position is occupied by a blank space. The digits
are represented by 4 metacarpals, and this may have constituted the
entire number of the fingers. The phalangeal bones preserved are a little
scattered. They are elongate with expanded ends.
Evidences of 23 consecutive osseous vertebræ are preserved. Their
character can not be determined, although Cope (123) describes them as
amphicœlous. This may be inferred to be the case, but I am unable to
verify his observation. In form the vertebra are subquadrate. The neural
spines are not evident. The osseous ribs articulate, apparently, between
the bodies of the vertebra. Cope figured them as intercentral. There are
22 or 23 pairs preserved. They are single-headed and the extremities are
attenuated. No traces of ventral scutellæ are present.
The entire length of the animal probably did not exceed 5 or 6 inches.
Its form was quite lizard-like and it was probably of an ambulatory type,
though it may have spent a part of its time in the old lagoon in which
its remains were finally buried. No traces of external gills have been
detected in this or any other Linton species.
Measurements of the Type of Tuditanus punctulatus Cope.
mm.
Length of entire specimen 94
Median length of skull 22
Width of skull at occiput 19
Depth of mandibular ramus 4
Length of the 23 vertebræ 61
Length of interclavicle 6.5
Width of interclavicle 4.5
Width of the three pectoral plates 10
Length of humerus 8
Width of humerus at proximal end 2.5
Length of ulna 6
Width of ulna at proximal end 2
Length of phalanx (metacarpal?) 2
Expanse of longest ribs 16
Length of rib 10.5
Width of rib .5
Length of a vertebra 2.5
=Tuditanus brevirostris Cope.=
Cope, Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc., XV, p. 272, 1874.
Cope, Geol. Surv. Ohio, II, pt. II, p. 393, pl. xxvi, figs. 3, 4, 1875.
Moodie, Bull. Amer. Museum Natl. Hist., XXVI, art. XXV, pl. lxiv, fig.
4, 1909.
Type: Specimen No. 8609 G, American Museum of Natural History.
Horizon and locality: Linton, Ohio, Coal Measures.
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