May 17, 2016

As a result of restudying the original material for the form previously known as Wetlugasaurus samarensis, two new genera are described, monotypic Samarabatrachus gen. nov. (S. bjerringi sp. nov.) and Syrtosuchus gen. nov. [with the species S. samarensis (Sennikov, 1981) and S. morkovini sp. nov.], and a new species of the genus Selenocara Bjerring (S. rossica sp. nov.). The genera Selenocara and Samarabatrachus gen. nov., lie at the base of the Triassic capitosaurid radiation and are combined into a new subfamily Selenocarinae subfam. nov. The genus Syrtosuchus gen. nov., being undoubtedly a derivative of early capitosauirids (Selenocara or a closely related genus), shows some typical benthosuchid features and is placed in the separate subfamily Syrtosuchinae subfam. nov. We provide more accurate diagnoses of the genera Wetlugasaurus Riabinin and Selenocara. Within the Obshchy Syrt the genera Selenocara, Samarabatrachus gen. nov. and Syrtosuchus gen. nov. are regarded as the leading elements of a distinct Early Triassic tetrapod complex (Selenocara - Syrtosuchus fauna), intermediate between the Tupilakosaurus and Benthosuchus faunas, and dating back to the late Induan (Diener).

I. V. Novikov (2016)
New temnospondyl amphibians from the Lower Triassic of Obshchy Syrt (Eastern Europe).
Paleontological Journal 50(3): 88-100 (Russian edition)
DOI: 10.7868 / S0031031X16030065