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
5. Type of Cope's species _Tuditanus mordax_ referred by him to the
cranium, on account of the sculpturing of the elements. We
now know the specimen to be portions of the interclavicle and
clavicles of _Diceratosaurus punctolineatus_, as Cope suggested
they might be. Original in American Museum of Natural History. ×
1.
6. Skull of _Baphetes planiceps_ Owen from the Coal Measures of Nova
Scotia. × 0.45. Original in the British Museum. South Kensington.
After Owen.
]
This species may be distinguished from other members of the genus by the
large size and shape of the cranium (462) and the broad mandible (plate
16, figs. 2, 3) with its very long teeth. The skull of _Sauropleura
digitata_ Cope is not known, but the body of that animal as preserved
represents far too small a form for the skull to be referred to that
species. The skull is fully half as long as the dorsal region of
_S. digitata_ Cope, so that an association of the remains would be
incongruous. It differs from the skull of _S. scutellata_ Newberry in
size and proportions. The skull of _S. scutellata_ is narrow, while in
_S. longidentata_ it is quite broad. The teeth of the latter are also
characteristic of the species, since in all other known species of this
genus in which the skull is preserved the large anterior tooth is wanting.
The bones of the skull show the coarse sculpturing of the larger species
of Microsauria. It consists more of radiating grooves than of pits. The
skull, as restored (462), is broadly ovate, with the posterior border
truncate. The muzzle is broad and the nostrils are, apparently, located
near the anterior margin.
The posterior border of the orbits lies near the median transverse line of
the skull. They are circular and are removed some distance from the margin
of the cranium. Only the frontal and parietal can be determined with
certainty.
The mandible is heavy and is provided with pleurodont, heterodont teeth.
Near the anterior end of the mandible there is a very long fang-like
tooth, longitudinally striated and slightly recurved, which arises from
a broad base and attains to considerable prominence. The other teeth are
smaller, though the next succeeding one is still of considerable size.
All of the teeth preserved are longitudinally striated, but only the two
anterior ones are recurved to any extent.
Measurements of the Type.
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