identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
03C8B21927786A72AD6BF995E464D799.text	03C8B21927786A72AD6BF995E464D799.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Stereospondyli Zittel 1888	<div><p>cf. Stereospondyli</p> <p>(Figs 2; 3)</p> <p>REFERRED MATERIAL. — Tanzania. NMT RB464 - 468 (Fig. 2), five small thoracic intercentra (anteroposterior length of 3.6-5.7 mm) from Locality Z90, mid- to upper Lifua Member, Manda Beds, Middle-?Late Triassic (e.g., Nelsen et al. 2001; Smith et al. 2018) of the Ruhuhu Basin.</p> <p>Zambia. NHCC LB 647, 679 - 687 (Fig. 3 and Peecook et al. 2018: fig. 4D-E), 10 small atlantal intercentra (L = 4.2 to 8.5 mm); NHCC LB688 - 689, two corresponding axes; and NHCC LB690-728, 39 small thoracic intercentra; all from Locality L82, upper horizon of the Ntawere Formation, Middle-?Late Triassic (e.g., Battail 1993; Hancox 2000; Peecook et al. 2018) of the Luangwa Basin (sensu Barbolini et al. 2016).</p> <p>DESCRIPTION (see also Peecook et al. 2018)</p> <p>All these vertebral elements are fully ossified.</p> <p>The thoracic intercentra are well preserved, except NMT RB467, which looks anteriorly slightly compressed (Fig. 2). These intercentra are subcylindrical and closed dorsally into a stereospondylous condition. They are subcircular in anterior and posterior views, and subrectangular in lateral view (with a height/length ratio of around 1). Their external surfaces show small ridges and grooves. Anteriorly and posteriorly, notochordal pits are visible, but they do not pass through the whole vertebral bodies. Dorsally, facets for the attachment of the neural arch are also preserved.</p> <p>The atlantal intercentra (Fig. 3 and Peecook et al. 2018: fig. 4) are relatively wide (l = 6.3 to 11.1 mm) and flat (h = 5 mm max). Their anterior side is biconcave to articulate with the exoccipital condyles, whereas their posterior side is concave. Their dorsal side presents a longitudinal groove for the neural canal.</p> <p>Both the Tanzanian and Zambian intercentra were found associated with abundant silesaurid (c. thousands of elements in Tanzania) and rare cynodont remains.</p> <p>IDENTIFICATION</p> <p>Based on their strong degree of ossification the Tanzanian and Zambian intercentra belong to adult individuals (e.g., Steyer 2000). Their identification beyond Temnospondyli, possibly Stereospondyli, is difficult given that they were found as isolated elements and not associated with more diagnostic material (e.g., skull elements). Moreover, concerning the atlantes, these elements are rare in the temnospondyl fossil record and therefore difficult to assign. The stereospondylous condition of all these intercentra is also found among disparate clades of temnospondyls, including the tupilakosaurids (e.g., Thabanchuia Warren, 1998), metoposaurids, plagiosaurids, and mastodonsaurids</p> <p>(e.g., Yates &amp; Warren 2000). The Tanzanian and Zambian intercentra are anteroposteriorly elongate, as is the case in metoposaurid stereospondyls (e.g., Hunt 1993; Gee et al. 2018; Buffa et al. 2019; Fortuny et al. 2019). However, this is only one character state, and the shape and proportions of the intercentra vary along a single vertebral column within temnospondyls. Therefore, we conservatively assign the specimens to “cf. Stereospondyli ”. Interestingly, these intercentra belong to small but adult individual(s) and clearly differ from the large, dorsally open intercentra of other temnospondyls from the same rock units (see below). They may correspond to a new small-bodied taxon but we prefer to leave this issue undecided, pending the discovery of additional material.</p> </div>	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C8B21927786A72AD6BF995E464D799	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Steyer, Jean-Sébastien;Peecook, Brandon R.;Arbez, Thomas;Nesbitt, Sterling J.;Tolan, Steve;Stocker, Michelle R.;Smith, Roger M. H.;Angielczyk, Kenneth D.;Sidor, Christian A.	Steyer, Jean-Sébastien, Peecook, Brandon R., Arbez, Thomas, Nesbitt, Sterling J., Tolan, Steve, Stocker, Michelle R., Smith, Roger M. H., Angielczyk, Kenneth D., Sidor, Christian A. (2021): New data on the Triassic temnospondyls from the Karoo rift basins of Tanzania and Zambia. Geodiversitas 43 (12): 365-376, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4906293
03C8B219277A6A72AD5EFA10E06CD5FF.text	03C8B219277A6A72AD5EFA10E06CD5FF.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Stereospondyli Zittel 1888	<div><p>Stereospondyli indet.</p> <p>(Fig. 4)</p> <p>REFERRED MATERIAL. — Zambia. NHCC LB678 (Fig. 4 and Peecook et al. 2018: fig. 4A-C), a partial right mandible of a small-sized, but adult, individual based on the well-developed ornamentation visible on its labial side (e.g., Steyer 2000) (Fig. 4A). The specimen was found by one of us (SJN) in 2014 together with small cylindrical vertebrae similar to NHCC LB690-728.</p> <p>LOCALITY AND HORIZON. — Locality L290 near the village of Sitwe, upper horizon of the Ntawere Formation, Middle-?Late Triassic (e.g., Battail 1993; Hancox 2000; Peecook et al. 2018) of the Luangwa Basin (sensu Barbolini et al. 2016).</p> <p>DESCRIPTION (see also Peecook et al. 2018)</p> <p>This small mandibular portion (29 mm in length) preserves three partial bones; a dentary labially and dorsally (Fig. 4A, B [d]), and two coronoids lingually and dorsally (Fig. 4B, C [cor1 and cor2]). The partial dentary is wellornamented, and its ornamentation pattern consists of interconnected pits of various sizes. It bears at least 12 marginal tooth sockets, which are slightly laterally compressed (a stereospondyl synapomorphy; e.g., Yates &amp; Warren 2000). The socket Nr. 8 still preserves a partial tooth with its medullar cavity. The two partial coronoids are covered by dense and well-separated denticle patches (c. 3 teeth per mm 2). These denticles are conical, short (&lt;1 mm), and taper to a sharp point. These denticle patches are separated by a depression in the posterior region of the specimen that is visible lingually. The anterior patch is complete and covers most of the length of the specimen. It is supported by the betterpreserved coronoid (Fig. 4B, C [cor1]). The other denticle patch and its corresponding coronoid (Fig. 4B, C [cor2]) are partially preserved and only visible in the posterior extremity of the specimen. Due to the fragmentary nature of the specimen, it is not clear if these elements represent pre-, inter- or post-coronoids.</p> <p>IDENTIFICATION</p> <p>We identify this specimen as a stereospondyl based on the laterally compressed tooth sockets as well as the stereospondyl synapomorphy of a dentary that does not contribute substantially to the lingual side of the mandible (the dentary is clearly visible in lingual view in basal temnospondyls; e.g., Schoch &amp; Milner 2000). It is difficult to assign a more precise identification because three stereospondyl clades have very dense denticle patches on at least two of their coronoids: the Rhinesuchidae, the Lydekkerinidae, and the Rhytidosteidae (e.g., Mahavisaurus dentatus Lehman, 1966, Maganuco et al. 2014: figs 8 - 9). Pending more discoveries, we therefore prefer to assign this fragmentary specimen to Stereospondyli.</p> </div>	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C8B219277A6A72AD5EFA10E06CD5FF	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Steyer, Jean-Sébastien;Peecook, Brandon R.;Arbez, Thomas;Nesbitt, Sterling J.;Tolan, Steve;Stocker, Michelle R.;Smith, Roger M. H.;Angielczyk, Kenneth D.;Sidor, Christian A.	Steyer, Jean-Sébastien, Peecook, Brandon R., Arbez, Thomas, Nesbitt, Sterling J., Tolan, Steve, Stocker, Michelle R., Smith, Roger M. H., Angielczyk, Kenneth D., Sidor, Christian A. (2021): New data on the Triassic temnospondyls from the Karoo rift basins of Tanzania and Zambia. Geodiversitas 43 (12): 365-376, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4906293
03C8B219277B6A7DAD23F915E113D759.text	03C8B219277B6A7DAD23F915E113D759.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Animalia	<div><p>Mastodontosauroidea indet.</p> <p>(Figs 5; 6)</p> <p>REFERRED MATERIAL. — Zambia. Large postcranial elements studied in 2015 by one of us (BRP) in the historical collections of the NHMUK, and labeled as ‘cf. Parotosuchus ’ (Fig. 5): NHMUK R10271, a huge partial interclavicle of nearly ½ meter breadth (Fig. 5A); NHMUK R10272 - R10273, two very large intercentra of 130 × 80 × 40 mm (Fig. 5B, C); NHMUK R10274, a partial right scapulocoracoid (Fig. 5D); and NHMUK R10275, a right complete ilium (Fig. 5E).</p> <p>Tanzania. NMT RB537 (Fig. 6), a very large and robust intercentrum (132 × 88 × 43 mm) found isolated by one of us (SJN) in 2007 at the locality Z30, near the village of Gingama, in the grey siltstones of the Lifua Member, Manda Beds, Middle-?Late Triassic (e.g., Nelsen et al. 2001; Smith et al. 2018) of the Ruhuhu Basin.</p> <p>LOCALITY AND HORIZON. — The Zambian specimens were collected in 1963 by a NHMUK and London University expedition which comprised Barry Cox, Alan Charig and colleagues (Attridge et al. 1964) at Locality 15 of Drysdall &amp; Kitching (1963), about 6 km west of the village of Sitwe, upper horizon of the Ntawere Formation, Middle-?Late Triassic (Peecook et al. 2018) of the Luangwa Basin (sensu Barbolini et al. 2016).</p> <p>DESCRIPTION</p> <p>Zambian material</p> <p>All the elements are fully ossified, robust and very large: they therefore belong to adult individual(s). The partial interclavicle NHMUK R10271 (Fig. 5A) bears radiating ridges and deep grooves on its ventral side. Most of the ridges are eroded, which suggests that this bone has been strongly weathered. Unfortunately, the margins of this interclavicle are not preserved, preventing a more precise assignment. The intercentra NHMUK R10272 - R10273 (Fig. 5B, C) are crescentic, but with relatively low and short lateral flanks. The limited lateral flanks suggest a relatively reduced notochordal canal. The bone surfaces are relatively rugose, probably for contact with the cartilaginous intervertebral disks. The parapophyses are not well developed. The partial right scapulocoracoid NHMUK R10274 (Fig. 5D) is also massive and robust. Although only its central part is preserved, the typical fan shape is recognizable, with the supraglenoid fossa visible in lateral view. The supraglenoid fossa is oval in shape and very large compared with the width of the mid-shaft. It turns inside into the supraglenoid foramen. Lateral to the supraglenoid fossa, a small expansion of the bone could correspond to the scapular tubercle but its preservation is not sufficient to confirm this identification. The complete right ilium NHMUK R10275 (Fig. 5E) is well preserved. In lateral view, its dorsal iliac process is high and slightly widens dorsally. The supracetabular buttress is well pronounced ventrolaterally, even though its surface is relatively weathered.</p> <p>Tanzanian material</p> <p>NMT RB537 (Fig. 6A, B) is crescentic, with a reduced anteroposterior length (43 mm) compared to its height (88 mm). Its parapophyses are located posteriorly suggesting an attribution to a stereospondyl (e.g., Warren &amp; Snell 1991; Witzmann &amp; Schoch 2006). Compared with other stereospondyl taxa, this intercentrum is very robust, with large elevated flanks drawing dorsally the base of the central tube for the notochordal canal. This character is typical of the neorachitomous pattern (e.g., Watson</p> <p>1919). The parapophyses are well separated from the rest of the vertebral element. Together with the strong degree of ossification of the intercentrum, this suggests that this element belongs to an adult individual (e.g., Steyer 2000). Its ventral, anterior, and posterior surfaces are very rugose. The latter two surfaces show a subcircular rugose zone for the contact with the cartilaginous intervertebral disks. The subcircular ventral side of the intercentrum, as well as the dorsal position and subtriangular shape of its parapophyses, suggests that this element was originally positioned between the middle and the posterior end of the presacral column. More precisely, the height of the parapophyses relative to the height of the intercentrum in lateral view suggests a rather posterior presacral element, by comparison with the vertebral columns of Paracyclotosaurus davidi Watson, 1958 and Mastodonsaurus giganteus (Jäeger, 1828) (respectively Watson 1958; Schoch 1999). The lateral expansions or “winglets” of the intercentrum suggest a relatively reduced notochordal canal. The ventral side of the intercentrum is wider than long. The parapophyses are entirely dorsally located on the corpus of the bone (not laterally and in between two intercentra).</p> <p>One of us (TA) produced a µCT-scan of NMT RB537 at AST-RX (MNHN) (Fig. 6C). The radiographic image shows two inner zones: a large, dense and dark central zone transitioning relatively abruptly into a lighter peripheral zone. The abrupt transition between the two zones may correspond to a volume of decreasing or arrested growth (VAG, i.e., the 3D equivalent of an annulus or a line of arrested growth in 2D). The strong density of the central zone, if of biological origin, suggests osteosclerosis, a common phenomenon observed in giant temnospondyls (Schoch 2012). In this case, the central zone limited by the VAG corresponds to the juvenile shape of the intercentrum. If this strong density is of taphonomical origin, the central zone is therefore the medullar zone whose spongiose structure was infilled by dense minerals. In this interpretation, the peripheral zone is the cortical zone composed of endosteal bone. Reduced but localized black patches are also visible in the lateral regions of the intercentrum: they are interpreted as hypermineralized zones or inclusions.</p> <p>IDENTIFICATION</p> <p>Zambian material</p> <p>These elements were labeled as ‘cf. Parotosuchus ’ in the NHMUK historical collections, probably because they are very large and robust, and only Parotosuchus (Damiani, 2001) was known as a unique giant Triassic temnospondyl in the 1960s, when they were discovered. However, no diagnostic Parotosuchus characters have been observed on this postcranial material: we therefore prefer to broaden its assignment to Mastodonsauroidea.</p> <p>Tanzanian material</p> <p>The proportions of the bone and comparisons with other taxa in which intercentra are known (e.g., Howie 1970; Schoch 1999; Pawley 2006) suggest an individual of about 4 m in total body length. However, because of the lack of diagnostic characters visible on this intercentrum and the high variability of the shape of the intercentra along a single vertebral column (e.g., Schoch 1999), we prefer to broaden its assignment to Mastodonsauroidea.</p> <p>MASTODONTOSAURIDAE Lydekker, 1885</p></div> 	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C8B219277B6A7DAD23F915E113D759	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Steyer, Jean-Sébastien;Peecook, Brandon R.;Arbez, Thomas;Nesbitt, Sterling J.;Tolan, Steve;Stocker, Michelle R.;Smith, Roger M. H.;Angielczyk, Kenneth D.;Sidor, Christian A.	Steyer, Jean-Sébastien, Peecook, Brandon R., Arbez, Thomas, Nesbitt, Sterling J., Tolan, Steve, Stocker, Michelle R., Smith, Roger M. H., Angielczyk, Kenneth D., Sidor, Christian A. (2021): New data on the Triassic temnospondyls from the Karoo rift basins of Tanzania and Zambia. Geodiversitas 43 (12): 365-376, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4906293
03C8B21927756A7EAF40FA30E4B8D4B8.text	03C8B21927756A7EAF40FA30E4B8D4B8.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Cherninia megarhina (Chernin & Cosgriff 1975) Damiani 2001	<div><p>cf. Cherninia megarhina (Chernin &amp; Cosgriff, 1975) Damiani, 2001</p> <p>(Fig. 7)</p> <p>REFERRED MATERIAL. — Zambia. NHCC LB676, a partial but elongate left dentary of an adult individual based on its well-developed ornamentation (e.g., Steyer 2000). It was found by one of us (ST) in 2007, associated with many specimens of the bivalve Unio karooensis Cox, 1932.</p> <p>LOCALITY AND HORIZON. — Locality L66 near the village of Sitwe, upper horizon of the Ntawere Formation, Middle-?Late Triassic (e.g., Battail 1993; Hancox 2000; Peecook et al. 2018) of the Luangwa Basin (sensu Barbolini et al. 2016).</p> <p>DESCRIPTION</p> <p>This partial dentary corresponds to the anterior half of the element. Its face is weathered with many broken teeth alongside their sockets, but it is not deformed by compaction. Its bears at least 50 laterally compressed teeth or tooth sockets. In lingual view (Fig. 7A), the dentary is elongate (L = 380 mm) and naturally shallow (h = 61 mm max). In dorsal view (Fig. 7B), its anterior extremity is strongly curved and semi-circular, with a well-developed symphyseal region. The symphyseal region bears two large partial tusks and is expanded posteriorly, with an elongate symphyseal suture (59 mm).</p> <p>IDENTIFICATION</p> <p>Laterally compressed teeth are a stereospondyl synapomorphy (e.g., Yates &amp; Warren 2000), whereas an elongate symphyseal suture is a common feature in Mastodonsauridae (e.g., Damiani 2001b). The semi-circular curvature of the dentary in dorsal view, together with its very large size, suggests a possible attribution of this specimen to Cherninia megarhina. This taxon is characterized by a very large skull and a semi-circular snout (Chernin 1974; Damiani 2001a), and the proportions and shape match those of NHCC LB676. Moreover, the type material of C. megarhina (BP/1/4223, a partial skull) was collected in the same region from time-equivalent strata (the type locality is “Locality 15” of Drysdall &amp; Kitching 1963, also near the village of Sitwe). However, because the mandible of C. megarhina described by Chernin (1978) does not belong to the type material, we cautiously assign NHCC LB676 to “cf. Cherninia megarhina ”.</p> </div>	http://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C8B21927756A7EAF40FA30E4B8D4B8	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Steyer, Jean-Sébastien;Peecook, Brandon R.;Arbez, Thomas;Nesbitt, Sterling J.;Tolan, Steve;Stocker, Michelle R.;Smith, Roger M. H.;Angielczyk, Kenneth D.;Sidor, Christian A.	Steyer, Jean-Sébastien, Peecook, Brandon R., Arbez, Thomas, Nesbitt, Sterling J., Tolan, Steve, Stocker, Michelle R., Smith, Roger M. H., Angielczyk, Kenneth D., Sidor, Christian A. (2021): New data on the Triassic temnospondyls from the Karoo rift basins of Tanzania and Zambia. Geodiversitas 43 (12): 365-376, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4906293
