Line drawing of the new referred specimen of Cacops morrisi (OMNH 73206) in dorsal profile

Cranial and postcranial anatomy of Cacops morrisi, a eucacopine dissorophid from the early Permian of Oklahoma

In a new paper in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Bryan Gee (Reisz Lab) describes three new immaculate specimens of an early Permian armoured temnospondyl (~amphibian), Cacops morrisi. The new specimens provide important data on developmental changes of the skull, as well as the first description of the postcranial skeleton (shoulder, forelimb backbone, etc.) of this taxon. With the addition of the new data, C. morrisi is arguably the best-known member of its clade and provides an important foundation for understanding the evolution in early amphibians on land.

Congrats to Bryan!

Read this paper »