The specimen is unique among the known American material in showing the structure of the palate. Jaekel ([347]) has figured and described the palate of Diceratosaurus punctolineatus Cope from the Linton beds. The present palate differs from that species only in the enlarged ectopterygoid and the smaller palatine.
The parasphenoid, in the present form, does not differ from that element in other Paleozoic Amphibia. Its form is slender, arising from an enlarged base and separating the pterygoids by its own width. The exoccipitals are probably represented in the specimen and they have been indicated in the drawing ([fig. 22 C]). They are rather large and extend some distance under the base of the skull to unite anteriorly with the pterygoids, a very unusual arrangement. The pterygoids are elongate elements and are bounded anteriorly by the vomer and laterally by the ectopterygoid. The vomer shows no evidence of being toothed, although it may have been so anteriorly. The same may also be said for the palatines. The relations of the ectopterygoids are rather unusual for the Amphibia, especially in the posterior extension of the element. The bone lies all along the side of the pterygoid and anteriorly projects forward between the pterygoid and the palatine. In this unusual posterior projection the ectopterygoid has almost obliterated the infratemporal foramen, which possibly may be still represented by the triangular space between the bases of the pterygoid and the ectopterygoid. The anterior palatine foramen (internal nares) lies between the anterior ends of the palatine and the vomer, its usual relations in the labyrinthodonts. The foramen may be recognized as the rounded depression slightly anterior to the palatine.
The mandible is rather heavy and is coarsely sculptured with radiating grooves and ridges. The character of the teeth can not be determined, save to say that they were present. The posterior end of the mandible projects somewhat beyond the quadrate angle of the skull.
The interest in the present specimen is heightened by the light it throws on the characters for the separation of the Amphibia and Reptilia. The wide separation of the pterygoids by the parasphenoid is an amphibian character of undoubted value. The reduction of the parasphenoid in this specimen is noteworthy.
| Measurements of the Skull of Erpetosaurus tabulatus Cope. (No. 8607 G, American Museum of Natural History.) | |
| mm. | |
| Length of skull in median line | 45 |
| Estimated posterior width of skull | 50 |
| Estimated width of parasphenoid | 6 |
| Width of pterygoid | 5 |
| Length of ectopterygoid | 17 |
| Posterior width of mandible | 12 |
Erpetosaurus minutus Moodie.
Moodie, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 37, pp. 21-23, pl. 8, fig. 1, 1909.
Type: Specimen No. 4545, U. S. National Museum.
Horizon and locality: Cannelton slates, Pennsylvania (Upper Freeport). ([PLATE 20 D.])