Nigerpeton

Ne-jer-pe-tohn.

By John Stewart

Published on February 15, 2016

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Name

Nigerpeton (Niger crawler).

Phonetic

Ne-jer-pe-tohn.

Named By

C. A. Sidor, F. R. O’Keefe, R. Damiani, J.-S. Steyer, R. M. H. Smith, H. C. E. Larsson, P. C. Sereno, O. Ide & A. Maga - 2005.

Classification

Chordata, Amphibia, Temnospondyli, Edopoidea, Cochleosauridae, Cochleosaurinae.

Diet

Carnviore.

Species

N. ricqlesi

Size

Skull 60 centimetres long.

Known locations

Niger - Moradi Formation.

Time Period

Wuchiapingian of the Permian.

Fossil representation

Based upon a skull, partial remains incuding some ribs, atlas vertebra, neural arches of other vertebrae and a femur have been referred to the genus.

In Depth

Nigerpeton seems to have been one of the last surviving members of the Edopoidea group of temnospondyl amphibians. Nigerpeton possibly lived in the same environments as Saharastega since both of these amphibians are known from the Moradi Formation of Niger.

– Permian tetrapods from the Sahara show climate-controlled endemism in Pangaea. – Nature 434:886–889. – C. A. Sidor, F. R. O’Keefe, R. Damiani, J.-S. Steyer, R. M. H. Smith, H. C. E. Larsson, P. C. Sereno, O. Ide & A. Maga – 2005. – The vertebrate fauna of the Upper Permian of Niger. IV. Nigerpeton ricqlesi (Temnospondyli: Cochleosauridae), and the edopoid colonization of Gondwana. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26, 18-28 – R. Damiani . C. A. Sidor, J. S. Steyer, R. O’Keefe, H. C. E. Larsson, A. Maga & O. Ide – 2006.

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SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

Nigerpeton

In Depth

Further Reading