Marmorerpeton is an extinct genus of prehistoric stem group-salamanders that lived in Britain during the Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic.[1] They are among the oldest known salamanders.[2] Two species were named when the genus was first described by Susan E. Evans et al. in 1988, M. freemani, and M. kermacki, from disarticulated remains found via screenwashing in the Forest Marble Formation of England.[1] Due to the size of their osteocytic lacunae suggesting a large genome size and some morphological characters, like the presence of calcified cartilage in the medulla of its humerus, it was assumed that Marmorerpeton was neotenic.[3][4] New partly articulated remains of Marmorerpeton representing a new species, M. wakei, were described in 2022 from the Kilmaluag Formation of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. These remains include a nearly complete skull, complete tail, partly articulated back bone, and several limb bones. These remains conclusively demonstrated that Marmorerpeton was neotenic, and was a member of the family Karauridae, with the other two members of the family, Karaurus and Kokartus which are known from the Middle-Late Jurassic of Central Asia.[5] The teeth appear to have been weakly pedicellate.[1]
Cross section of a Marmorerpeton femur in normal transmitted (left) and polarized (right) light
Paleontology portal
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Evans, S. E.; Milner, A. R.; Mussett, F. (1988). "The earliest known salamanders (Amphibia, Caudata): a record from the Middle Jurassic of England". Geobios. 21 (5): 539–552. doi:10.1016/s0016-6995(88)80069-x.
^Marjanovic, D.; Laurin, M. (2014). "An updated paleontological timetree of lissamphibians, with comments on the anatomy of Jurassic crown-group salamanders (Urodela)". Historical Biology. 26 (4): 535–550. doi:10.1080/08912963.2013.797972. S2CID 84581331.
^Laurin, M.; Canoville, A.; Struble, M.; Organ, C.; de Buffrénil, V. (2015). "Early genome size increase in urodeles". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 15 (1–2): 74–82. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2014.12.006.
^de Buffrénil, V.; Canoville, A.; Evans, S. E.; Laurin, M. (2015). "Histological study of karaurids, the oldest known (stem) urodeles". Historical Biology. 27 (1): 109–114. doi:10.1080/08912963.2013.869800. S2CID 83557507.
^Jones, Marc E. H.; Benson, Roger B. J.; Skutschas, Pavel; Hill, Lucy; Panciroli, Elsa; Schmitt, Armin D.; Walsh, Stig A.; Evans, Susan E. (11 July 2022). "Middle Jurassic fossils document an early stage in salamander evolution". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119 (30). doi:10.1073/pnas.2114100119. ISSN 0027-8424.
Marmorerpeton is an extinct genus of prehistoric stem group-salamanders that lived in Britain during the Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic. They...
apparently neotenic, aquatic Marmorerpeton from England and Scotland of a similar date. Karaurus, Kokartus, and Marmorerpeton are together grouped in the...
with Kokartus from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) of Kyrgyzstan, and Marmorerpeton from the Bathonian of Britain, together forming the Karauridae, which...
Jurassic of Kyrgyzstan, two species of the apparently neotenic, aquatic Marmorerpeton from the Middle Jurassic of England and Scotland, and Karaurus from...
Kokartus from the Middle Jurassic Balabansai Formation of Kyrgyzstan, Marmorerpeton from the Middle Jurassic Forest Marble Formation of England and Kilmaluag...
stem-group relatives. Many Jurassic stem-group salamanders, such as Marmorerpeton and Kokartus, are thought to have been neotenic. Early representatives...
Sabadell. It is related to Apricosiren, Bishara, Hylaeobatrachus, Marmorerpeton, and Ramonellus. Prehistoric amphibian List of prehistoric amphibians...
analysis of caudates at familial level including fossil taxa, such as Marmorerpeton, Karaurus, Jeholotriton, Chunerpeton, Liaoxitriton, Iridotriton, and...
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