Romeriscus is a dubious genus of tetrapod, found in the Lower Pennsylvanian Port Hood Formation in Nova Scotia. The genus contains a single species, Romeriscus periallus, from a single specimen, YPM-PU16 482, which comprises cranial and postcranial remains.[1]
| Romeriscus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Tetrapoda |
| Class: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | †Romeriscus Baird & Carroll, 1968 |
| Species: | †R. periallus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Romeriscus periallus Baird & Carroll, 1968 | |
Romeriscus was first described in 1967 by Donald Baird and Robert Carroll, who classified it as a limnoscelid based on their interpretation of its skull structure.[1] In 1992, this claim was refuted by Michel Laurin and Robert Reisz, who state that the poor preservation of the skull makes such a claim impossible, and that due to its poor condition, the frontal and postfrontal portions of the skull cannot be properly identify the species as a limnoscelid. Laurin & Reisz concluded that Romeriscus cannot conclusively be classified as a limnoscelid or amniote. Instead, they classified it as Tetrapoda incertae sedis, and a dubious taxon. They noted that microsaur or lepospondyl affinities could not be excluded, but that it likely is not a temnospondyl.[2]
References
edit- 1 2 Baird, D.; Carroll, R. L. (1967-07-07). "Romeriscus, the oldest known reptile". Science. 157 (3784): 56–59. Bibcode:1967Sci...157...56B. doi:10.1126/science.157.3784.56. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 6026664.
- ↑ Laurin, Michel; Reisz, Robert R. (1992). "A Reassessment of the Pennsylvanian Tetrapod Romeriscus". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 12 (4): 524–527. Bibcode:1992JVPal..12..524L. doi:10.1080/02724634.1992.10011478. ISSN 0272-4634. JSTOR 4523476.