PBDB Taxon

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Metoposaurus diagnosticus

Amphibia - Temnospondyli - Metoposauridae

Taxonomy

Metopias diagnosticus was named by Meyer (1842). Its type specimen is SMNS 10825, a partial skull (Partial skull), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Feuerbacher Heide, which is in a Carnian channel sandstone/sandstone in the Stuttgart Formation of Germany.

It was recombined as Labyrinthodon (Metopias) diagnosticus by Owen (1859); it was recombined as Labyrinthodon diagnosticus by Owen (1861); it was recombined as Metoposaurus diagnosticus by Chowdhury (1965), Kuhn (1971), Sulej (2002), Milner and Schoch (2004) and Sulej (2007).

Subspecies

M. diagnosticus (type subspecies)

Synonyms

Metoposaurus heimi was named by Kuhn (1932). Its type specimen is BSPG 1931 X 3, a skull (Skull), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Ebrach, bed number 7, which is in a Carnian lacustrine sandstone in the Hassberge Formation of Germany.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Hunt (1993) and Schoch and Milner (2000); it was synonymized subjectively with Metoposaurus diagnosticus by Chowdhury (1965) and Sulej (2002).
Metopias stuttgartensis was named by Fraas (1913). Its type specimen is SMNS 11423, 12712, 12714 (syntypes), a set of postcrania (Clavicle, interclavicle, ribs), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Sonnenberg, which is in a Carnian lacustrine horizon in the Weser Formation of Germany.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Hunt (1993) and Schoch and Milner (2000); it was synonymized subjectively with Metoposaurus diagnosticus by Sulej (2002) and Milner and Schoch (2004).
Metoposaurus stuttgartiensis was named by Fraas (1913).

It was synonymized subjectively with Metoposaurus diagnosticus by Chowdhury (1965).
Metopias santaecrucis was named by Koken (1913).

It was synonymized subjectively with Metoposaurus diagnosticus by Chowdhury (1965).
Trigonosternum latum was named by Schmidt (1931). It is not extant.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Colbert and Imbrie (1956); it was synonymized subjectively with Metoposaurus diagnosticus by Kuhn (1971).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1842	Metopias diagnosticus Meyer
1859	Labyrinthodon (Metopias) diagnosticus Owen p. 139
1861	Labyrinthodon diagnosticus Owen p. 216
1913	Metopias stuttgartensis Fraas
1913	Metoposaurus stuttgartiensis Fraas
1913	Metopias santaecrucis Koken
1931	Trigonosternum latum Schmidt
1932	Metoposaurus heimi Kuhn
1965	Metoposaurus diagnosticus Chowdhury p. 42
1971	Metoposaurus diagnosticus Kuhn p. 8
2002	Metoposaurus diagnosticus Sulej p. 545
2004	Metoposaurus diagnosticus Milner and Schoch
2007	Metoposaurus diagnosticus Sulej

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
class	Amphibia

Rank	Name	Author
order	Temnospondyli	()
—	Eutemnospondyli
—	Rhachitomi	()
—	Eryopiformes
—	Stereospondylomorpha
—	Stereospondyli	()
—	Superstes
—	Trematosauria
superfamily	Trematosauroidea
family	Metoposauridae
genus	Metoposaurus	Lydekker 1890
species	diagnosticus	(Meyer 1842)

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Metoposaurus diagnosticus Meyer 1842

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Invalid names: Metopias santaecrucis Koken 1913 [synonym], Metopias stuttgartensis Fraas 1913 [synonym], Metoposaurus heimi Kuhn 1932 [synonym], Metoposaurus stuttgartiensis Fraas 1913 [synonym], Trigonosternum latum Schmidt 1931 [synonym]

†Metoposaurus diagnosticus diagnosticus Sulej 2002

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Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
T. Sulej 2007	In majority of skulls, the anterior top of the lacrimal closer to nares than the top of the prefrontal; the interclavicle with posterior part longer than in Metoposaurus maleriensis and the “centre” of sculpture consisted of isometric pits smaller; the glenoid of scapula directed more posteriorly than in M. maleriensis."

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

phosphaticsubp

Environment:

brackish, freshwater, terrestrialuc

Locomotion:

actively mobilesubo

Life habit:

amphibioussubo

Diet:

piscivoreg

Dispersal:

waterc

Created:

2009-01-03 21:09:05

Modified:

2009-01-03 23:09:05

Source: g = genus, subo = suborder, c = class, subp = subphylum, uc = unranked clade

References: Benton 1983, Carroll 1988, Uhen 2004, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range: base of the Carnian to the top of the Rhaetian or 237.00000 to 201.30000 Ma

Collections (12 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Carnian	237.0 - 228.0	Germany (Bayern)	Metoposaurus heimi (97735 97736 97737 97738)
Carnian	237.0 - 228.0	Italy (Bolzano)	Metoposaurus diagnosticus (106510)
Carnian	237.0 - 228.0	Germany (Baden-Württemberg)	Metopias diagnosticus (type locality: 97870) Metoposaurus diagnosticus (106458 106459 106463 106997)
Carnian - Norian	237.0 - 208.5	Poland (Opole)	Metoposaurus diagnosticus (61448)
Rhaetian	208.5 - 201.3	France (Lorraine)	Capitosauridae indet. (36106)