Concordia (genus)
Encyclopedia
Concordia is an extinct genus
of Late Carboniferous captorinid
known from Greenwood County
, Kansas
of the United States
.
KUVP
8702a&b, well preserved skull
in dorsal view along with its counterpart, a partial preserved braincase in ventral view, and from the referred specimen KUVP 96/95, well preserved skull in ventral view and a poorly preserved dorsal counterpart. It was collected in the Hamilton Quarry
, from the Calhouns Shale Formation of the Shawnee Group, dating to the Virgilian stage (or alternatvely late Kasimovian
to early Gzhelian
stage) of the Late Pennsylvanian
Series
, about 305-299 million years ago. Concordia was originally thought to be the basalmost
known member of Captorhinidae. A noval phylogenic study of primitive reptile relationships by Müller & Reisz in 2006 recovered Thuringothyris
as a sister taxon of the Captorhinidae, and therefore, by definition, Thuringothyris represents the basalmost known captorhinid. The same results were obtained in later phylogenic analyses. Concordia is still the earliest known captorhinid as all other captorhinid taxa are known only from Permian
deposits.
in 2005
and the type species
is Concordia cunninghami. The generic name is derived from the Latin
concordia, meaning "unity" or "harmony". The specific name honors Christopher R. Cunningham for studing this taxon as part of his PhD thesis on the Hamilton Quarry.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of Late Carboniferous captorinid
Captorhinidae
Captorhinidae is one of the earliest and most basal reptile families.-Description:...
known from Greenwood County
Greenwood County
Greenwood County is the name of two counties in the United States:* Greenwood County, Kansas* Greenwood County, South Carolina...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Description
Concordia is known from the holotypeHolotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
KUVP
University of Kansas Natural History Museum
The University of Kansas Natural History Museum is part of the University of Kansas Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, which is itself part of the KU Biodiversity Institute....
8702a&b, well preserved skull
Skull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...
in dorsal view along with its counterpart, a partial preserved braincase in ventral view, and from the referred specimen KUVP 96/95, well preserved skull in ventral view and a poorly preserved dorsal counterpart. It was collected in the Hamilton Quarry
Hamilton Quarry
Hamilton Quarry is a Late Carboniferous lagerstätte near Hamilton, Kansas, United States. It has a diverse assemblage of unusually well-preserved marine, euryhaline, freshwater, flying, and terrestrial fossils . This extraordinary mix of fossils has led to the interpretation of an estuarine...
, from the Calhouns Shale Formation of the Shawnee Group, dating to the Virgilian stage (or alternatvely late Kasimovian
Kasimovian
The Kasimovian is an geochronologic age or chronostratigraphic stage in the ICS geologic timescale. It is the third stage in the Pennsylvanian , lasting from 306.5 ± 1.0 to 303.9 ± 0.9 Ma. The Kasimovian stage follows the Moscovian and is followed by the Gzhelian.-Name and definition:The Kasimovian...
to early Gzhelian
Gzhelian
The Gzhelian is an age in the ICS geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest stage of the Pennsylvanian, the youngest subsystem of the Carboniferous. The Gzhelian lasted from 303.9 ± 0.9 to 299.0 ± 0.8 Ma...
stage) of the Late Pennsylvanian
Pennsylvanian
The Pennsylvanian is, in the ICS geologic timescale, the younger of two subperiods of the Carboniferous Period. It lasted from roughly . As with most other geochronologic units, the rock beds that define the Pennsylvanian are well identified, but the exact date of the start and end are uncertain...
Series
Series (stratigraphy)
Series are subdivisions of rock layers made based on the age of the rock and corresponding to the dating system unit called an epoch, both being formally defined international conventions of the geological timescale. A series is therefore a sequence of rock depositions defining a...
, about 305-299 million years ago. Concordia was originally thought to be the basalmost
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
known member of Captorhinidae. A noval phylogenic study of primitive reptile relationships by Müller & Reisz in 2006 recovered Thuringothyris
Thuringothyris
Thuringothyris is an extinct genus of Early Permian captorinid known from the Free State of Thuringia of central Germany.-Description:Thuringothyris is known from the holotype MNG 7729, articulated well-preserved skull and partial postcranial skeleton, and from the referred specimens...
as a sister taxon of the Captorhinidae, and therefore, by definition, Thuringothyris represents the basalmost known captorhinid. The same results were obtained in later phylogenic analyses. Concordia is still the earliest known captorhinid as all other captorhinid taxa are known only from Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
deposits.
Etymology
Concordia was first named by Johannes Müller and Robert R. ReiszRobert R. Reisz
Robert Rafael Reisz is a Canadian paleontologist and specialist in the study of early amniote and tetrapod evolution.Robert Reisz was born August 27, 1947, in Oradea, Romania. He received his B.Sc. , M.Sc. and Ph.D. from McGill University as Robert L. Carroll’s first doctoral graduate...
in 2005
2005 in paleontology
-New taxa:-New taxa:-Xiphosurans:* Fossils of Lunataspis, the earliest known xiphosuran, are discovered in Canada. It was not given a formal description until 2008, however.-New taxa:-Newly named dinosaurs:...
and the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is Concordia cunninghami. The generic name is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
concordia, meaning "unity" or "harmony". The specific name honors Christopher R. Cunningham for studing this taxon as part of his PhD thesis on the Hamilton Quarry.