Romeriscus
Genus of prehistoric tetrapod
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Romeriscus is a dubious genus of tetrapod, found in the Lower Pennsylvanian Port Hood Formation in Nova Scotia. The genus contains a single species, Romeriscus periallus, from a single specimen, YPM-PU16 482, which comprises cranial and postcranial remains.[1]
| Romeriscus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Tetrapoda |
| Class: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | †Romeriscus Baird & Carroll, 1968 |
| Species: | †R. periallus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Romeriscus periallus Baird & Carroll, 1968 | |
Romeriscus was first described in 1967 by Donald Baird and Robert Carroll, who classified it as a limnoscelid based on their interpretation of its skull structure.[1] In 1992, this claim was refuted by Michel Laurin and Robert Reisz, who state that the poor preservation of the skull makes such a claim impossible, and that due to its poor condition, the frontal and postfrontal portions of the skull cannot be properly identify the species as a limnoscelid. Laurin & Reisz concluded that Romeriscus cannot conclusively be classified as a limnoscelid or amniote. Instead, they classified it as Tetrapoda incertae sedis, and a dubious taxon. They noted that microsaur or lepospondyl affinities could not be excluded, but that it likely is not a temnospondyl.[2]