Jeanerpeton
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| Jeanerpeton | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Tetrapoda |
| Order: | †Temnospondyli |
| Clade: | †Amphibamiformes |
| Genus: | †Jeanerpeton Sefcovic et al., 2026 |
| Species: | †J. mazonensis |
| Binomial name | |
| †Jeanerpeton mazonensis Sefcovic et al., 2026 | |
Jeanerpeton (lit. 'Jeans' crawler') is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian in the clade Amphibamiformes, known from the Late Carboniferous (Moscovian age) Mazon Creek fossil beds of Illinois, United States. The genus contains a single species, Jeanerpeton mazonensis, known from a skeleton surrounded by a soft tissue impression of the body.
Discovery and naming
[edit]The Jeanerpeton fossil material was discovered in 1965 by Ken Kietzke, an amateur collector, in outcrops of the Carbondale Formation (Francis Creek Shale) near Braidwood, Illinois, US. These rock layers, representing part of the Mazon Creek Lagerstätte, are known for preserving a diverse fauna represented by fossils found in concretions of siderite. Kietzke donated the specimen to the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), where it is permanently accessioned in the reptile paleontology collection as specimen FMNH PR 558. It consists of a split concretion preserving a nearly complete skull and skeleton on a part and counterpart. The tail region is missing. The skeleton is surrounded by an impression of the body's soft tissues.[1][2] An initial report on the specimen was published by Arjan Mann and Bryan M. Gee in 2020, focusing on its soft tissue features.[3]
In 2026, Allison J. Sefcovic and colleagues described Jeanerpeton mazonensis as a new genus and species of amphibamiform based on these fossil remains, designating FMNH PR 558 as the holotype specimen. The generic name, Jeanerpeton, honors the mothers of Sefcovic and Payton J. Kohlberg—two authors of the publication naming this taxon—both of whom are named Jean. This reference is combined with the common temnospondyl (and other early tetrapodomorph) suffix '-erpeton', from the Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν (herpetón), meaning 'crawler' or 'creeping animal'. The specific name, mazonensis, refers to the discovery of the specimen in a Mazon Creek locality.[1][2]
See also
[edit]- Paleofauna of the Mazon Creek fossil beds
- Amphibamus – a closely related Mazon Creek temnospondyl
References
[edit]- 1 2 Sefcovic, Allison J.; Kohlberg, Payton J.; So, Calvin; Mann, Arjan (2026-09-24). "Jeanerpeton mazonensis, gen. et sp. nov.: a new, exceptionally preserved, late Carboniferous amphibamiform from the Mazon Creek Lagerstätte, Illinois". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. doi:10.1080/02724634.2026.2698799. ISSN 0272-4634.
- 1 2 "Mother of amphibians: New species of proto-amphibian described by two student scientists, named in honor of their moms". www.fieldmuseum.org (Press release). Field Museum. 2026-09-24. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ Mann, Arjan; Gee, Bryan M. (2020-03-25). "Lissamphibian-like toepads in an exceptionally preserved amphibamiform from Mazon Creek". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 39 (6). doi:10.1080/02724634.2019.1727490. ISSN 0272-4634.
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