Fossil Vertebrates of the Kupferschiefer of Germany

Type Horizon and Locality: Late Permian, Kupferschiefer Member, Werra Formation, Zechstein Group (Wuchiapingian) Germany

Represented here:

Glaurung schneideri Bulanov and Sennikov, 2015, a recently described gliding reptile, originally thought to be a specimen of Weigeltisaurus.
Parasaurus geinitzi Meyer, 1857, an enigmatic small parareptilian belonging to the herbivorous possibly amphibious pareiasaurs.
Procynosuchus delaharpeae Broom, 1937, a semi-aquatic cynodont which was originally described from fossils from South Africa. Procynosuchus has also been found in Zambia and Russia.
Protorosaurus speneri Meyer, 1830, the earliest known archosauromorph reptile, a lineage that will eventually lead to the crocodiles, dinosaurs and birds.
Weigeltisaurus jaekeli (Weigelt, 1930), an early gliding diapsid reptile, with bony rods extending from the side of the body, which were probably covered by skin to form "wings".

The Werra Formation has also yielded a remarkable number of fish, invertebrates and plants fossils.


February 9, 2020


References:

Tsuji, L. A., & Müller, J. (2008). A re-evaluation of Parasaurus geinitzi, the first named pareiasaur (Amniota, Parareptilia). Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 45(10), 1111-1121.

Bulanov, V. V., & Sennikov, A. G. (2015). Glaurung schneideri gen. et sp. nov., a New Weigeltisaurid (Reptilia) from the Kupfershiefer (Upper Permian) of Germany. Paleontological Journal, 49(12), 1353-1364.


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