Labyrinthodont amphibians from Antarctica. American Museum novitates

• Main Authors: Colbert, Edwin Harris, 1905-, Cosgriff, John William.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: New York, N.Y. : American Museum of Natural History 1974
• Subjects: Austrobrachyops jenseni; Cryobatrachus kitchingi; Labyrinthodontia > Antarctica; Amphibians; Fossil > Antarctica; Paleontology > Triassic > Antarctica; Paleontology > Antarctica; Austral; Shackleton; Transantarctic Mountains; Beardmore; Beardmore Glacier; Coalsack Bluff; Graphite Peak; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2246/2750

30 p. : ill. 26 cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. 27-30). "Labyrinthodont amphibians from the Lower Triassic Fremouw Formation of Antarctica are described. These consist of a fragment of a lower jaw collected at Graphite Peak in the Transantarctic Mountains in December, 1967, and various fossils from Coalsack Bluff (west of the Beardmore Glacier and some 140 km., or about 88 miles, northwest of Graphite Peak) during the austral summer of 1969-1970 and from near the junction of the McGregor and Shackleton Glaciers (about 100 km., or about 60 miles, more or less, to the east and a little south of Graphite Peak) during the austral summer of 1970-1971. Two new genera and species are described. Austrobrachyops jenseni is a brachyopid showing resemblances to Batrachosuchus from the Lower Triassic of South Africa and to Hadrokkosaurus from the Middle Triassic of North America. Cryobatrachus kitchingi is a lydekkerinid related to Lydekkerina and Limnoiketes from the Lower Triassic of South Africa. In addition an isolated tabular bone from Coalsack Bluff represents a temnospondyl amphibian of possible capitosaurid or benthosuchid relationships. These fossils supplement the evidence of reptiles collected from the Fremouw Formation, to indicate a probable ligation between Antarctica and South Africa and paleozoogeographic relationships between Antarctica and other parts of Gondwanaland and even of Laurasia"--P. 3.