Waggoneria
Encyclopedia
Waggoneria is a genus
of seymouriamorph reptiliomorph from the Early Permian of Texas
. It was named by American paleontologist Everett C. Olson in 1951 on the basis of a holotype
fossil that included a weathered skull, lower jaws, vertebrae, and part of the pectoral girdle. The type
and only species is W. knoxensis. A new family
, Waggoneriidae, was also erected for the specimen.
The fossil was discovered in a conglomerated
deposit of the Early Permian Vale Formation near the town of Vera
in Knox County, Texas
. The specimen was found in a nodule
of rock that had broken, and much of the surface of the skull had weathered away.
Because Waggoneria is known from a single fragmentary fossil, few features distinguish it from other reptiliomorphs. One distinction can be seen in the structure of the jaws. The surfaces of the upper and lower jaws are plate-like and contain several rows of teeth. The lower jaw is deep, possibly associated with the crushing function of the teeth. Olson only tentatively assigned Waggoneria to Seymouriamorpha, noting other similarities with diadectomorphs and procolophonia
ns. Several other fossils found from the Vale Formation share similar features with Waggoneria but differ slightly in size and morphological detail. Olson suggested that they may represent additional genera within Waggoneriidae.
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 seymouriamorph reptiliomorph from the Early Permian of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It was named by American paleontologist Everett C. Olson in 1951 on the basis of a holotype
Holotype
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...
fossil that included a weathered skull, lower jaws, vertebrae, and part of the pectoral girdle. The type
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...
and only species is W. knoxensis. A new family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Waggoneriidae, was also erected for the specimen.
The fossil was discovered in a conglomerated
Conglomerate (geology)
A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
deposit of the Early Permian Vale Formation near the town of Vera
Vera, Texas
Vera is an unincorporated community in Knox County, Texas, United States. It lies on U.S. Highway 82 in the east central portion of the county near the Baylor County line, and has an estimated population of 50 as of 2000.-History:...
in Knox County, Texas
Knox County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,253 people, 1,690 households, and 1,166 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile . There were 2,129 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
. The specimen was found in a nodule
Nodule (geology)
A nodule in petrology or mineralogy is a secondary structure, generally spherical or irregularly rounded in shape. Nodules are typically solid replacement bodies of chert or iron oxides formed during diagenesis of a sedimentary rock...
of rock that had broken, and much of the surface of the skull had weathered away.
Because Waggoneria is known from a single fragmentary fossil, few features distinguish it from other reptiliomorphs. One distinction can be seen in the structure of the jaws. The surfaces of the upper and lower jaws are plate-like and contain several rows of teeth. The lower jaw is deep, possibly associated with the crushing function of the teeth. Olson only tentatively assigned Waggoneria to Seymouriamorpha, noting other similarities with diadectomorphs and procolophonia
Procolophonia
The Procolophonia are a suborder of herbivorous reptiles that lived from the Middle Permian till the end of the Triassic period. They were originally included as a suborder of the Cotylosauria but are now considered a clade of Parareptilia...
ns. Several other fossils found from the Vale Formation share similar features with Waggoneria but differ slightly in size and morphological detail. Olson suggested that they may represent additional genera within Waggoneriidae.