Infernovenator

Infernovenator is a genus of Carboniferous lysorophian recumbirostran from the Mazon Creek lagerstätte in Illinois, U.S. It was described in 2019.[1]

Infernovenator Temporal range: Carboniferous, 309–307 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subclass:	†Lepospondyli
Order:	†Lysorophia
Family:	†Molgophidae
Genus:	†Infernovenator
Type species
Infernovenator steenae Mann, Pardo, & Maddin, 2019

History of study

The holotype, now reposited at the Field Museum, was previously described by Godfrey (1997) as an aïstopod, Phlegethontia longissama.[2] Redescription of the specimen led to its identification as a new lysorophian taxon. Infernovenator is represented only by the holotype, a nearly complete skeleton. The genus name is given for the Latin infernum ("hell") to refer to the fossorial habitats of the taxon and venator ("hunter"). The species name honors paleontologist Margaret Clair Steen Brough.[1]

Anatomy

Infernovenator is diagnosed by a unique combination of features[1]: (1) 61 presacral vertebrae; (2) a triangular postfrontal that contacts the tabular; (3) a circumorbital series formed by the prefrontal, the postfrontal, the lacrimal, and the maxilla; and (4) an ossified septomaxilla. Features shared with the lysorophian Brachydectes and not with other recumbirostrans include: (1) postorbital absent and cheek emargination present; (2) bar-like tabular-squamosal complex; and (3) short and robust dentary.

Taxonomy

Below is the strict consensus topology recovered from the maximum parsimony analysis of Mann et al. (2019):

Seymouria       Limnoscelis    Amniota      Ophiacodon     Dimetrodon           Petrolacosaurus     Captorhinus         Opisthodontosaurus    Recumbirostra      Nannaroter       Micraroter     Pelodosotis             Huskerpeton     Cardiocephalus         Rhynchonkos       Aletrimyti     Dvellecanus            Molgophidae    Brachydectes     Infernovenator         Quasicaecilia       Batropetes     Carrolla

References

1. Mann, Arjan; Pardo, Jason D; Maddin, Hillary C (2019-09-30). "Infernovenator steenae, a new serpentine recumbirostran from the 'Mazon Creek' Lagerstätte further clarifies lysorophian origins". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 187 (2): 506–517. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz026. ISSN 0024-4082.
2. Godfrey, Steven J. (1997). "Tetrapods". In Shabica, CW; Hay, AA (eds.). Richardson's guide to the fossil fauna of Mazon Creek. Chicago: Northeastern Illinois University Press. pp. 256–269.