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An early tetrapod from 'Romer's Gap'.

¹University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. j.a.clack@zoo.cam.ac.uk

|July 5, 2002

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Pederpes, an early tetrapod from the Tournaisian epoch, shows early terrestrial locomotion and functional pentadactyly. This discovery bridges key gaps in understanding tetrapod evolution during Romer's Gap.

Area of Science:

Paleontology
Evolutionary Biology
Vertebrate Paleontology

Background:

The fossil record of early tetrapods has been limited, particularly during Romer's Gap, a 20-million-year period crucial for terrestrial adaptation.
New finds from the Devonian and Early Carboniferous periods have expanded our knowledge, but significant gaps remain in understanding tetrapod evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe the only articulated skeleton of the tetrapod Pederpes, discovered from the Tournaisian epoch.
To analyze the morphology of Pederpes, focusing on its limbs and digits, to infer its locomotion and phylogenetic position.

Main Methods:

Description of the articulated skeleton of Pederpes.
Morphological analysis of the pes (foot) and manus (hand) to identify key features like digit number and robustness.

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Phylogenetic comparison with other early tetrapods to determine evolutionary relationships.

Main Results:

Pederpes possesses a pentadactyl pes with characteristics resembling later, more terrestrial Carboniferous tetrapods, distinct from Devonian paddle-like feet.
The manus shows a very small, possibly supernumerary digit, suggesting polydactyly in early tetrapods.
Pederpes represents the earliest known tetrapod exhibiting beginnings of terrestrial locomotion and is functionally pentadactyl.

Conclusions:

Pederpes bridges the temporal and morphological gaps between Late Devonian and mid-Carboniferous tetrapod faunas.
The discovery suggests polydactyly may have persisted in early tetrapods beyond the Devonian period.
Pederpes, along with Whatcheeria, represents a primitive tetrapod clade, offering insights into the transition to terrestrial life.