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Link to original content: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-018-1598-1
Dimetrodon (Synapsida: Sphenacodontidae) from the cave system at Richards Spur, OK, USA, and a comparison of Early Permian–aged vertebrate paleoassemblages | The Science of Nature Skip to main content
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Dimetrodon (Synapsida: Sphenacodontidae) from the cave system at Richards Spur, OK, USA, and a comparison of Early Permian–aged vertebrate paleoassemblages

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Abstract

The Early Permian Richards Spur locality is unique in preserving a highly diverse faunal assemblage in a cave system, composed of synapsids, reptiles, and anamniotes. However, the presence of Dimetrodon, the most common synapsid of Early Permian localities of the southwestern USA, has never been recorded from the site. Here, we describe for the first time the morphology and histology of a small neural spine with the distinctive figure-8 shape attributable to Dimetrodon. Additionally, histological analysis of previously described sphenacodontid teeth suggests the presence of a derived species of Dimetrodon at the Richards Spur locality. The presence of this derived synapsid, typical of the later occurring Kungurian localities of Texas and Oklahoma, is unexpected at the stratigraphically older Richards Spur locality. The cave system at Richards Spur preserves mainly basal synapsid taxa, including small caseid, varanopid, and sphenacodontid skeletal remains. The presence of a derived species of Dimetrodon suggests not only that this animal was more widespread than previously thought, but that there are different patterns of Early Permian synapsid evolution in different ecological settings.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Bill May for the help in obtaining the neural spine and tooth specimens. For assistance with histology, the authors wish to thank Kentaro Chiba (Okayama University of Science) and Brian Iwama (ROM). For the help with specimen curation, the authors wish to thank Kevin Seymour (ROM).

Funding

This research was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) PGS-D and Ontario Graduate Scholarship to Brink, NSERC PGS-D to MacDougall, and NSERC Discovery Grant to Reisz. Research was also supported by grants from the University of Toronto Mississauga (Canada) and Jilin University (China).

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Author notes

  1. Kirstin S. Brink

    Present address: Department of Oral Health Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada

  2. Mark J. MacDougall

    Present address: Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz-Institute für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd., Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1J7, Canada

    Kirstin S. Brink & Mark J. MacDougall

  2. International Center for Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China

    Robert R. Reisz

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  1. Kirstin S. Brink
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  3. Robert R. Reisz
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Correspondence to Robert R. Reisz.

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Communicated by: Rumyana Jeleva

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Brink, K.S., MacDougall, M.J. & Reisz, R.R. Dimetrodon (Synapsida: Sphenacodontidae) from the cave system at Richards Spur, OK, USA, and a comparison of Early Permian–aged vertebrate paleoassemblages. Sci Nat 106, 2 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-018-1598-1

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