Morphological character matrix of Melanerpeton kuselense
Data files
Sep 15, 2026 version files 8.49 KB
-
README.md
1.85 KB
-
Schoch_etal_Melanerpeton_MATRIX.txt
6.64 KB
Abstract
A new species of dissorophoid temnospondyl, is reported from the Remigiusberg Formation (Carboniferous–Permian boundary) of southwestern Germany. The type and only known specimen is a skull belonging to a moderately advanced larva with distinctive features: (1) a very slender postorbital skull table, (2) large nasal, (3) short squamosal giving a short gape, and (4) a gracile and extremely small pterygoid. Phylogenetic analysis finds it to fall well within the branchiosaurids, above the Pennsylvanian Branchiosaurinae and sister taxon to Melanerpeton pusillum from Lower Permian deposits of the Czech Republic. It is not closely related to any of the branchiosaurids from the Saar-Nahe Basin, adding to the distinctive Remigiusberg tetrapod faunal assemblage.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.rfj6q57r2
Description of the data and file structure
Morphological character matrix of Melanerpeton kuselense
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.rfj6q57r2
Description of the data and file structure
Character matrix Schoch_etal_Melanerpeton_MATRIX.txt
TNT file
Journal name: Journal of Paleontology, Submission # JPA-2025-0106
Title: A new diminutive temnospondyl from the Carboniferous-Permian boundary of Germany
Description: This file forms the basis of a phylogenetic analysis conducted under maximum parsimony. It includes the morphological character matrix with the scorings for the new taxon Melanerpeton kuselenese.
The characters are exclusively based on morphological features derived from examination of fossil taxa. They include mostly binary (0, 1) and a few multistate (0, 1, 2) characters. Polymorphisms (intraspecific variation involving more than one state) and missing data are both scored as question mark.
The cladistic analysis was performed employing TNT v.1.5, using equally weighted “New Technology Search” algorithms to explore the tree space and find a global optimum. All characters were left unordered because sequences of evolutionary character transformations are especially difficult to assess in branchiosaurids because of widespread neoteny.
This matrix forms an elaborate version of the amphibamiform character-taxon matrix published by Schoch (2022), and all character definitions are provided therein.
Reference: Schoch, R.R., 2022, Phylogeny of the amphibamiform temnospondyls: the relationship of taxa known by adults, larvae and neotenes: Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, v. 20, 2113831.