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A new basal zatracheid temnospondyl from the early Permian Chemnitz Fossil Lagerstätte, central-east Germany

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Abstract

A new zatracheid temnospondyl adds to the fossil-rich T0 assemblage of the Chemnitz Fossil Lagerstätte (Chemnitz Basin, Sakmarian–Artinskian transition). The skeleton was found in basal air-fall tuffs of the Zeisigwald Tuff (Leukersdorf Formation) and consists of the almost complete skull roof in dorsal view, parts of the occiput, fore and hind limbs, numerous presacral vertebrae and ribs, parts of the pelvic girdle and ventral scales. The new taxon Chemnitzion richteri gen. nov. et sp. nov. is proposed due to the following autapomorphic characters: (1) postorbital skull very short, about five times shorter than the preorbital skull; (2) elongate and robust hindlimbs, with femur length reaching almost half of the skull length. A phylogenetic analysis finds the new taxon at the base of a monophyletic Zatracheidae, forming a trichotomy with Acanthostomatops vorax and the more derived zatracheids [Zatrachys serratus + (Dasyceps bucklandi + D. microphthalmus)]. The animal was part of a diverse trophic web of plants, animals and microorganisms. Various vertebrates, arthropods and gastropods constituted a vital community that lived in a dense, seasonally influenced forest habitat dominated by tree-sized ferns, calamitaleans, medullosans and cordaitaleans. The temnospondyl’s death and taphonomic background is closely related to the ash-cloud deposition following a phreatoplinian eruption. The following massive pyroclastic flow finally entombed the moist forest and intensively heated all enclosed organic remnants.

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(adapted from Rößler et al. 2012a, b)

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Artwork by Frederik Spindler

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the support by the Chemnitz excavation team, including Ralph Kretzschmar, Volker Annacker and Mathias Merbitz, for professional fieldwork, saving of the finds, recording crucial information and many fruitful discussions, and Thorid Zierold encouraged the project management. We express special thanks to Georg Sommer, Schleusingen, for skeleton preparation and Frederik Spindler, Denkendorf, for the fine artwork of Fig. 15. We thank Irina Ruf, former University of Bonn, for her help to provide X-ray scans of the holotype. We are further indebted to Maibrit Scheibel, Annika Buitink and Thomas Israel. David Marjanović, Luisa Merten and Luisa Pusch are thanked for help with the phylogenetic analysis, Frank Löcse checked statistics to calculate tuff compaction, Steffen Trümper kindly assisted with figure preparation, and Burkhard Müller facilitated the naming of the find. This research was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG grants RO 1273-3/1 to R.R. and SCHN 408/20 to J.W.S.). The manuscript benefited greatly from the constructive reviews provided by Bryan Gee and Jade Atkins. This publication contributes to the tasks of the “Nonmarine–Marine Correlation Working Group” of the Subcommissions on Carboniferous Stratigraphy (SCCS), Permian Stratigraphy (SPS), and Triassic Stratigraphy (STS).

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  1. Naturhistorisches Museum Schloss Bertholdsburg Schleusingen, Burgstraße 6, 98553, Schleusingen, Germany

    Ralf Werneburg

  2. Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Museum für Naturkunde, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany

    Florian Witzmann

  3. Geological Institute, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Bernhard-von-Cotta-Straße 2, 09596, Freiberg, Germany

    Joerg W. Schneider & Ronny Rößler

  4. Museum für Naturkunde, Moritzstraße 20, 09111, Chemnitz, Germany

    Ronny Rößler

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  1. Ralf Werneburg
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Werneburg, R., Witzmann, F., Schneider, J.W. et al. A new basal zatracheid temnospondyl from the early Permian Chemnitz Fossil Lagerstätte, central-east Germany. PalZ 97, 105–128 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-022-00624-8

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