Not to be confused with the dinosaur Brachiosaurus.
Branchiosaurus
Temporal range: Lower Permian
Fossil of B. salamandroides in the Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Order:
†Temnospondyli
Family:
†Branchiosauridae
Subfamily:
†Branchiosaurinae
Genus:
†Branchiosaurus Fritsch, 1876
Species
B. salamandroides Fritsch, 1875
B. umbrosus Fritsch, 1879
Branchiosaurus (from Greek: βράγχιονbránkhion, 'gill' and Greek: σαῦροςsaûros, 'lizard') is a genus of small, prehistoric amphibians. Fossils have been discovered in strata dating from the late Pennsylvanian Epoch to the Permian Period. The taxa may be invalid; the material referred to the genus may be juvenile specimens of larger amphibians.[1]
RestorationSkeletal diagram
This tiny amphibian was very similar to the Rachitomi, differing primarily in size.[clarification needed] Other distinguishing characteristics include a cartilaginous, less ossified skeleton and a shorter skull. Clear traces of gills are present in many fossilized samples, hence the name.
Originally thought to have vertebrae distinct from rhachitomous vertebrae, it was placed in a separate order named Phyllospondyli ("leaf vertebrae"). Later analysis of growth stages showed increasing ossification in larger specimens, which showed that at least some of the species was the larval stage of much larger rachitomes like Eryops, while others represent paedomorphic species which retained the larval gills in adulthood.[2]
Distribution is uncertain, though available fossils come from central Europe, most famous of which are the Permian Niederkirchen Beds around Pfalz, Germany.
^Andrew R. Milner, "The Tetrapod Assemblage from Nýrany, Czechoslovakia", in Systematics Association Special Volume No.15, "The Terrestrial Environment and the Origin of Land Vertebrates", ed. by A. L. Panchen, 1980, pp.439-496, Academic Press, London and New York
^Boy, J.A. (1972): Die Branchiosaurier (Amphibia) des saarpfalzichen Rotliegenden (Perm, SW-Deutschland). Abhandlungen des Hessische Landesamt, Bodenforschung No 65, pp 1-137
Branchiosaurus (from Greek: βράγχιον bránkhion, 'gill' and Greek: σαῦρος saûros, 'lizard') is a genus of small, prehistoric amphibians. Fossils have been...
hatching. Fossils of the distant relatives of modern amphibians, such as Branchiosaurus and Apateon, also show evidence of external gills. The external gills...
the genera Branchiosaurus, Apateon, Melanerpeton, Leptorophus and Schoenfelderpeton. The stratigraphically oldest genus is Branchiosaurus, with its only...
enamel in their teeth. Branchiosauria included only a few forms, such as Branchiosaurus from Europe and Amphibamus from North America, that had poorly developed...
topologies (nomenclature adjusted to reflect current status and ranks): Branchiosaurus, a branchiosaurid of the late Carboniferous of central Europe Amphibamus...
salamander, is difficult to tell apart from the Permian temnospondyl Branchiosaurus. Branchiosaurus, a Permian genus Mexican salamander (axolotl), extant The smelling...
for many new genera and species of tetrapods, including Microbrachis, Branchiosaurus, Hyloplesion (at that time called Stelliosaurus), and Sparodus. Scincosaurus...
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