ALBANERPETONTIDAE FOX & NAYLOR, 1982

McGOWAN, Gerard J., 2002, Albanerpetontid amphibians from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain and Italy: a description and reconsideration of their systematics, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 135 (1), pp. 1-32 : 3-4

FAMILY ALBANERPETONTIDAE FOX & NAYLOR, 1982

The new material from Spain and the Pietraroia specimen can be differentiated from more recent albanerpetontids on the shape of their frontals which differ from those of the genus Albanerpeton ( McGowan & Evans, 1995; McGowan, 1998). The Albanerpeton frontal is strongly triangular, has a narrow, pointed anterior process and relatively straight orbital margins ( Estes & Hoffstetter, 1976; McGowan & Evans, 1995). The Spanish and Italian specimens have frontals with a bulbous, almost circular anterior process, and highly curved orbital margins; they are narrowest mid-way along their length. By comparison with the albanerpetontid material from the Miocene of La Grive-Saint-Alban, France ( Estes & Hoffstetter, 1976) and modern salamanders, these differences have been interpreted as significant at the generic level ( McGowan & Evans, 1995; McGowan, 1998). More subtle differences between the Spanish and Italian specimens (discussed below) suggest that they may be specifically distinct.

Celtedens McGowan & Evans, 1995

Type species: Celtedens megacephalus ( Costa, 1864) ( Triton megacephalus Costa, 1864 ; Heteroclitotriton megacephalus Kuhn, 1938 ; Triturus megacephalus Kuhn, 1960 ; Albanerpeton megacephalus Estes, 1981 ). Diagnosis of genus: An albanerpetontid in which the frontal differs from that of Albanerpeton in having a wide bulbous, almost circular anterior process; orbital margins curved and longer than half the anteriorposterior frontal length (>60%).

Distribution: Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) to Lower Cretaceous (Albian) of Europe.

Included species: Celtedens megacephalus ( Costa, 1864) , Celtedens ibericus McGowan & Evans (1995) .

Celtedens megacephalus ( Costa, 1864)

Holotype: Almost complete specimen (M 542) from the early Cretaceous (Albian) of Pietraroia, Italy. Lacks details of postcranial skeleton and palate and premaxilla region.

Referred material: Undescribed frontals from the early Cretaceous (Barremian) of Uña, Spain; disarticulated cranial and postcranial remains from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) of Kirtlington, Oxfordshire, England and Cretaceous (Berriasian) Limestone Group, Purbeck, Dorset, England; also disarticulated material from the Cretaceous (Kimmeridgian) of Guimarota, Portugal ( McGowan, 1998).

Distribution: Bathonian to Albian of Western Europe. Diagnosis: As for the genus; the frontal has highly curved orbital margins and a narrower anterior interlacrimal width to posterior parietal margin width in comparison with Celtedens ibericus .

Celtedens ibericus McGowan & Evans, 1995 Holotype: Complete specimen in part and counterpart (LH 6020 A & B) from the Lower Cretaceous (late Barremian) of Las Hoyas , Cuenca , Spain. Lacking only the distal part of the tail and details of the palate. Referred material: Two complete specimens in part and counterpart (LH 030 R A & B; LH 15710 A & B) also from Las Hoyas, Cuenca, Spain.

Distribution: Early Cretaceous (Barremian) of Las Hoyas, Spain.

Diagnosis: As for the genus; plus frontal orbital margin differs from Celtedens megacephalus in being more curved anteriorly and less curved posteriorly. The interlacrimal width is wider in proportion to the base width than that of Celtedens megacephalus .

DESCRIPTION OF LAS HOYAS