Pederpes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pederpes Fossil range: Middle Mississippian |
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| Pederpes finneyi |
Pederpes is an extinct genus of mid-Mississippian tetrapod. It had a large, somewhat triangular head, similar to that of Whatcheeria. It is distinguished from Whatcheeria by various skeletal features, such as a spike-like latissimus dorsi (an arm muscle) attachment on the humerus and several minor skull features. Pederpes contains one species, P. finneyi.
Pederpes is placed in the family Whatcheeriidae, of uncertain relationships to other tetrapod families. Under modern cladistic taxonomy, Pederpes is not considered an amphibian, but a very basal (primitive) tetrapod.
The fossils of Pederpes were found in the Ballagan Formation. The type specimen was a nearly complete, articulated skeleton. Only the tail and some bones of the skull and limbs were missing.
