Batrachichnus

Batrachichnus; Temporal range: Mississippian-Triassic PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Trace fossil classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Ichnogenus:	†Batrachichnus; Woodworth 1900
Type ichnospecies
	†B. plainvillensis; Woodworth 1900
Ichnospecies
	B. celer (Matthew 1903); B. jacksonensis (Butts 1891); B. plainvillensis (Woodworth 1900; type); B. obscurus (Gilmore 1927); B. salamandroides (Geinitz 1861);

Batrachichnus is an amphibian ichnogenus commonly found in assemblages of ichnofossils dating to the Mississippian^[1] to Triassic^[2] of North America,^[3] South America,^[4] and Europe.^[2] The animal producing the tracks was likely a temnospondyl. B. slamandroides is the smallest known tetrapod footprint, produced by an animal with an estimated body length of just 8 millimeters (0.31 in)^[5]

Description

The tracks show four toes and part or all of the palms. Pes (rear foot) prints often overstep the manus (front foot) prints. The digits were short and blunt. Toe drags are common.

Some trackways show a transition from a walking to a running gait.^[5]

References

^ Lucas, Spencer G.; Fillmore, David L.; Simpson, Edward L. (31 August 2010). "Amphibian Body Impressions from the Mississippian of Pennsylvania, USA". Ichnos. 17 (3): 172–176. Bibcode:2010Ichno..17..172L. doi:10.1080/10420940.2010.502488. S2CID 140624556.
^ ^a ^b Ptaszyński, T.; Niedźwiedzki, G. (2004). "Late Permian vertebrate tracks from the Tumlin Sandstone, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 49 (2): 289–320. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
^ Lucas, Spencer G.; Lerner, Allan J.; Haubold, Hartmut (2001). "First record of Amphisauropus and Varanopus in the Lower Permian Abo Formation, central New Mexico". Hallesches Jahrb. Geowiss B. 29: 69–78. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.503.8731.
^ Melchor, Ricardo Néstor; Swithin Sarjeant, William Antony (January 2004). "Small Amphibian and Reptile Footprints from the Permian Carapacha Basin, Argentina". Ichnos. 11 (1–2): 57–78. Bibcode:2004Ichno..11...57M. doi:10.1080/10420940490428814. hdl:11336/81750.
^ ^a ^b Stimson, Matt; Lucas, Spencer G.; Melanson, Gloria (July 2012). "The Smallest Known Tetrapod Footprints: Batrachichnus Salamandroides from the Carboniferous of Joggins, Nova Scotia, Canada". Ichnos. 19 (3): 127–140. Bibcode:2012Ichno..19..127S. doi:10.1080/10420940.2012.685206. S2CID 55243441.

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[1] Lucas, Spencer G.; Fillmore, David L.; Simpson, Edward L. (31 August 2010). "Amphibian Body Impressions from the Mississippian of Pennsylvania, USA". Ichnos. 17 (3): 172–176. Bibcode:2010Ichno..17..172L. doi:10.1080/10420940.2010.502488. S2CID 140624556.

[PtaszynskiEtal2004-2] Ptaszyński, T.; Niedźwiedzki, G. (2004). "Late Permian vertebrate tracks from the Tumlin Sandstone, Holy Cross Mountains, Poland". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 49 (2): 289–320. Retrieved 19 January 2022.

[3] Lucas, Spencer G.; Lerner, Allan J.; Haubold, Hartmut (2001). "First record of Amphisauropus and Varanopus in the Lower Permian Abo Formation, central New Mexico". Hallesches Jahrb. Geowiss B. 29: 69–78. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.503.8731.

[4] Melchor, Ricardo Néstor; Swithin Sarjeant, William Antony (January 2004). "Small Amphibian and Reptile Footprints from the Permian Carapacha Basin, Argentina". Ichnos. 11 (1–2): 57–78. Bibcode:2004Ichno..11...57M. doi:10.1080/10420940490428814. hdl:11336/81750.

[StimsonEtal2012-5] Stimson, Matt; Lucas, Spencer G.; Melanson, Gloria (July 2012). "The Smallest Known Tetrapod Footprints: Batrachichnus Salamandroides from the Carboniferous of Joggins, Nova Scotia, Canada". Ichnos. 19 (3): 127–140. Bibcode:2012Ichno..19..127S. doi:10.1080/10420940.2012.685206. S2CID 55243441.

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