Diadectes (Diadectomorpha: Diadectidae) from the early Permian of central Germany, with description of a new species

Abstract

A new species of the diadectomorph Diadectes, D. absitus, is described on the basis of a nearly complete, articulated skeleton that includes the skull, an isolated skull, and the greater portions of two articulated postcrania. All were collected from fluvial red=bed deposits immediately above the Tambach Sandstone, middle part of the Lower Permian Tambach Formation, lowermost formational unit of the Upper Rotliegend, of the Bromacker locality in the midregion of the Thuringian Forest near Gotha, central Germany. Diadectes absitus represents the first member of this genus to be described from outside of North America, A combination of autapomorphic and plesiomorphic characters provides a more substantial basis for recognizing D. absitus than is available for distinguishing between the North American species of Diadectes. Two possible conclusions are drawn from the relationship of D. absitus to the North American members of the genus: 1) its uniqueness reflects the wide geographic separation from the North American species, and 2) its greater primitiveness reinforces previous assessments of the biostratigraphic position and age of the Tambach Formation as earliest Permian Wolfcampian.