New reptile material from the Lower Triassic of Madagascar: implications for the PermianTriassic extinction event

2004/01/01 by H. F. Ketchum, Paul M. Barrett · 3 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Ichthyology and Marine Biology #Amniote #Tetrapod (structure) #Permian #Extinction event #Paleontology #Geology #Permian–Triassic extinction event #Early Triassic #Extinction (optical mineralogy) #Fauna #Vertebrate #Ecology #Biological dispersal #Biology #Population

paper · doi:10.1139/e03-084

openalex publication_date 2004/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11

Abstract

Recently discovered reptile specimens from the "Eotriassic" deposits of Madagascar (Lower Triassic) are reported, adding valuable information to our knowledge of Malagasy faunas and providing additional data on tetrapod survivorship across the Permian–Triassic (P–T) boundary. Four specimens are attributable to the terrestrial procolophonoid Barasaurus besairiei Piveteau 1955, whereas the remainder are referable to the aquatic younginiform family Tangasauridae, including some individuals identifiable as Hovasaurus boulei Piveteau 1926. These specimens represent the geologically youngest tangasaurid and Barasaurus specimens to be described from Madagascar and suggest that these small reptiles passed unaffected through the end Permian mass extinction event, when ~78% of amniote families disappeared.

Citations

• A reevaluation of early amniote phylogeny
• Reptile phylogeny and the interrelationships of turtles
• Plesiosaur ancestors from the upper permian of Madagascar

Cited by

• Early Triassic Marine Biotic Recovery: The Predators' Perspective
• The recovery of terrestrial vertebrate diversity in the South African Karoo Basin after the end-Permian extinction
• Claudiosaurus [wikipedia]