Biology:Baphetoidea

Baphetoidea is a superfamily of stem-tetrapods. It includes the family Baphetidae and several more basal genera such as Eucritta and Spathicephalus (which has been given its own family Spathicephalidae). The superfamily has also been called Loxommatoidea, but this name is a junior synonym of Baphetoidea.

Taxonomy

Baphetoidea was named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1875. The name Loxommatoidea was erected by D.M.S. Watson in 1929 for baphetids such as Loxomma, which were then known as loxommatids. Loxommatids were later shown to be members of Baphetidae, and Loxommatoidea was synonymized with Baphetoidea as a result. Because Baphetoidea was the first erected name, it has priority over Loxommatoidea.

Baphetioids have been suggested to be stem-group tetrapods. The following cladogram represents the results of Igielman (2026):

Tetrapodomorpha

†Eusthenopteron 80px       †Tiktaalik 80px       †Ichthyostega 80px       †Acanthostega 80px       †Whatcheeriidae 80px       †Embolomeri 80px     †Colosteidae 80px       †Westlothiana 80px     †Aistopoda 80px         †Baphetoidea 80px   crown‑group Tetrapoda   Temnospondyli (including Lissamphibia, i.e. modern amphibians) 80px 80px       †Seymouriamorpha 80px       †Recumbirostra 80px       †Diadectomorpha 80px       †Captorhinidae 80px     Amniota (including modern mammals, reptiles and birds) 80px 80px

References

Template:Tetrapodomorpha Wikidata ☰ Q4857524 entry