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Kermitops

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(Redirected from Kermitops gratus) Genus of extinct amphibamiform temnospondyls

Kermitops
Temporal range: Early Permian (Leonardian), ~270 Ma PreꞒ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Temnospondyli
Superfamily: Dissorophoidea
Clade: Amphibamiformes
Genus: Kermitops
Species: K. gratus
Binomial name
Kermitops gratus
So, Pardo & Mann, 2024

Kermitops (meaning "Kermit face") is an extinct genus of amphibamiform temnospondyl from the Early Permian Clear Fork Formation of Texas, United States. The genus contains a single species, K. gratus, known from a partial cranium.

Discovery and naming

Kermitops was named after Kermit the Frog.

The Kermitops holotype specimen, USNM 407585, was discovered by Nicholas Hotton III and field scientists from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in April 1984. The type locality is represented by the lower sediments of the Clear Fork Formation near Lake Kemp in Wilbarger County, Texas, United States. The specimen consists of most of the skull roof, a partial braincase, and the mandibles. Most of the palate is not preserved, except for some incomplete vomerine teeth. The marginal teeth are not readily observable.

In 2024, So, Pardo & Mann described Kermitops gratus as a new genus and species of amphibamiforms based on these fossil remains. The generic name, "Kermitops", combines a reference to Kermit the Frog—the famous amphibian character from the Muppets—with the Greek suffix "-ops", meaning face. The specific name, "gratus", means "gratitude" in Latin, honoring Nicholas Hotton III and the others who aided in collecting the holotype specimen.

Classification

In their 2024 description, So, Pardo & Mann performed multiple phylogenetic analyses; the fossil skull preserves an ossified element that may represent the basioccipital, and the coding of this character as "present" or "absent" altered their results. In their Bayesian inference analyses, Kermitops was consistently recovered as the sister taxon to Plemmyradytes. The cladogram with the basioccipital scored as "present" is displayed below:

Dendrysekos

Trimerorhachis

Sclerocephalus

Acanthostomatops

Perryella

Dissorophoidea

Micromelerpetidae

Olsoniformes

Eoscopus

Amphibamiformes

Kermitops

Plemmyradytes

Rubeostratilia

Micropholidae

Amphibamidae

Branchiosauridae

Nanobamus

Milnererpeton

Georgenthalia

Gerobatrachus

Lissamphibia

References

  1. ^ So, Calvin; Pardo, Jason D.; Mann, Arjan (2024). "A new amphibamiform from the Early Permian of Texas elucidates patterns of cranial diversity among terrestrial amphibamiforms". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae012.
  2. Ashworth, James (2024-03-21). "Ancient amphibian species named after Kermit the Frog". Natural History Museum. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
Dissorophoidea
Tetrapodomorpha
Temnospondyli
Dissorophoidea
    • see below↓
Dissorophoidea
Dissorophoidea
Micromelerpetontidae
Olsoniformes
Trematopidae
Dissorophidae
Dissorophinae
Eucacopinae
Amphibamiformes
Micropholidae
Amphibamidae
sensu stricto
Branchiosauridae
Lissamphibia?
Dissorophus multicinctus Georgenthalia clavinasica
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