Papposaurus Explained

Papposaurus is an extinct genus of proterogyrinid embolomere which lived in the Mississippian (early Carboniferous) of Scotland. It is known from a single species, Papposaurus traquiairi, which is based on an isolated femur discovered in ironstone near Loanhead.^{[1] [2]} Though originally compared closely to reptiles,^[3] subsequent study has revealed closer similarity to basal embolomeres such as Proterogyrinus and Archeria. With such limited remains, Papposaurus may not be a valid genus. The femur was redescribed in 1986 by T. R. Smithson, who considered Papposaurus traquairi a nomen vanum possibly synonymous with Proterogyrinus scheelei.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Holmes. R.. 2 November 1984. The Carboniferous Amphibian Proterogyrinus scheelei Romer, and the Early Evolution of Tetrapods. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences. 306. 1130. 431–524. 10.1098/rstb.1984.0103. 2396081. 1984RSPTB.306..431H.
2. Smithson. T. R.. 1985-09-01. Scottish Carboniferous amphibian localities. Scottish Journal of Geology. en. 21. 2. 123–142. 10.1144/sjg21020123. 130137425. 0036-9276.
3. Watson. D. M. S.. August 1914. III.—On a Femur of Reptilian Type from the Lower Carboniferous of Scotland. Geological Magazine. en. 1. 8. 347–348. 10.1017/S0016756800139883. 1914GeoM....1..347W. 129907374 . 1469-5081.
4. Smithson. T. R.. September 1986. A new anthracosaur amphibian from the Carboniferous of Scotland. Palaeontology. 29. 3. 603–628.