Aquí nos gustan los anfibios (fósiles o no)

Aquí nos gustan los anfibios y como se dice en el título sean fósiles o no. Desde este blog damos la bienvenida a Ichthyosaura randeckensis un nuevo urodelo fósil del Mioceno temprano europeo que mantiene unos estrechos lazos de sangre con uno de nuestros tritones más amenzados y "Vulnerable", Ichthyosaura (Mesotriton) alpestris o popularmente denominado tritón alpino.

El artículo donde se describe este nuevo anfibio aparace publicado en la revista científica Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology y a modo de nota os dejamos el abstract:

A new species of salamandrid is named and described from the Miocene of Randeck Maar, a long-term volcanic lake deposit in southern Germany. Based on a fully articulated specimen, Ichthyosaura randeckensis is named and described as a 3–4 cm long newt with a robust posterolateral process of the frontal, a heavily ornamented skull roof, and a premaxilla with spike-like, parallel alary processes framing a slender fontanelle posteriorly. In a phylogenetic analysis of 14 salamandrid taxa and 38 morphological characters, I. randeckensis is found to nest with I. alpestris, with which it shares apomorphic character states in the morphology of premaxilla and nasal. The present analysis employed more morphological characters than hitherto considered, highlighting the need to conduct more osteological studies of extant salamanders. Its results are largely consistent with recent molecular phylogenetic studies: Tylototriton and Pleurodeles form a clade, with Notophthalmus and Euproctus falling within unresolved trichotomies, followed by Cynops and Ommatotriton as successive crownward clades, then Triturus sensu stricto (T. marmoratus and T. cristatus), and finally Lissotriton and Ichthyosaura as terminal sister taxa.

Más información:

• Rainer R. Schoch & Michael W. Rasser (2013) A new salamandrid from the Miocene Randeck Maar, Germany. A new salamandrid from the Miocene Randeck Maar, Germany, 33(1): 58–66. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2012.716113.
• Imágenes tomada de la publicación: imagen izquierda ejemplar tipo de la especie; imagen derecha dibujo del esqueleto de Ichthyosaura randeckensis.