Nigerpeton ricqlesi

Nigerpeton is a large Temnospondyl and is the last surviving representative of a group that flourished during the Late carboniferous, the Edopoids.

Name

Nigerpeton ricqlesi

Authority

Sidor, O'Keefe, Damiani, Steyer, Smith, Larsson, Sereno, Ide and Maga, 2005

Meaning of generic name

Niger, for the country, and herpeton (Greek), meaning crawler

Meaning of specific name

ricqlesi, named for Armand de Ricqlès

Size

Skull length: 60 cm, Length: .

Remains

Holotype (MNN MOR69): partial skull and associated atlas vertebrae.

Referred materials: MNN MOR70 (skull); MNN MOR83 (three isolated sacral neural arches with associated ribs); MNN MOR82 (partial femur).

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Moradi Formation (Izégouandane Group, Izégouandane Basin), Upper Permian (Wuchiapingian).

Locality: 20 km west of Arlit, north-central Niger.

Classification

Temnospondyli Edopoidea

Further Reading

Sidor, C. A., F. R. O’Keefe, R. Damiani, J.-S. Steyer, R. M. H. Smith, H. C. E. Larsson, P. C. Sereno, O. Ide, and A. Maga. 2005. Permian tetrapods from the Sahara show climate-controlled endemism in Pangaea. Nature 434:886–889.