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Temnospondyl amphibians from the Jurassic of the Southern Junggar Basin (NW China)

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Abstract

For the first time, remains of post-Triassic temnosponyls are described from the southern Junggar Basin (NW China). Middle Jurassic material from the uppermost part of the Toutunhe Formation consists of several isolated but well preserved skull bones and intercentra from all regions of the body that can be attributed to a brachyopid. The material in part shares important autapomorphies withGobiops desertus Shishkin, 1991, from the Upper Jurassic of Outer Mongolia, and is consequently referred to this taxon, partially with reservation. This represents the first record of this genus from China. It also yields new anatomical data and permits an emended diagnosis.Ferganobatrachus from the Middle Jurassic of Kirghisia is probably, as also shown by the new material, congeneric withGobiops. Two fragmentary specimens from the lower part of the Upper Jurassic Qigu Formation are tentatively referred to the Brachyopoidea because of features of the skull, mandible and vertebral column. They probably both represent a single taxon that was larger and more massively built thanGobiops desertus but closely related to this form.

Kurzfassung

Erstmals werden Reste posttriassischer Temnospondylen aus dem südlichen Junggar-Becken (NW-China) beschrieben. Mitteljurassisches Material aus dem obersten Abschnitt der Toutunhe-Formation umfasst mehrere isolierte, aber gut erhaltene Schädelknochen und Intercentra aus allen Abschnitten der Wirbelsäule, die zu einem Brachyopiden gehören. Das Material zeigt teilweise wichtige Autapomorphien vonGobiops desertus Shishkin, 1991 aus dem Oberen Jura der Äußeren Mongolei und wird daher, partiell mit Vorbehalt, diesem Taxon zugeordnet. Dies stellt den Erstnachweis der Gattung aus China dar. Es zeigt darüberhinaus neue anatomische Details und erlaubt es, eine emendierte Diagnose zu formulieren.Ferganobatrachus aus dem Mitteljura von Kirgisien ist, wie unter anderem das neue Material zeigt, wohl gattungsgleich mitGobiops. Zwei fragmentarische Stücke aus dem unteren Abschnitt der oberjurassischen Qigu-Formation werden aufgrund von Merkmalen des Schädels, Unterkiefers und der Wirbelsäule mit Vorbehalt der Brachyopoidea zugeordnet. Sie gehören möglicherweise beide demselben Taxon an, das zwar größer und massiver gebaut war alsGobiops desertus, aber dieser Form wohl nahe steht.

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  1. Institut und Museum für Geologie und Paläontologie der Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Sigwartstr. 10, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Michael W. Maisch & Andreas T. Matzke

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Maisch, M.W., Matzke, A.T. Temnospondyl amphibians from the Jurassic of the Southern Junggar Basin (NW China). Paläontol. Z. 79, 285–301 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02990189

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