Late Carboniferous tetrapods from the Scottish Lower Coal Measures (Langsettian: Bashkirian) and a new nectridean

ABSTRACT The Scottish palaeontological record has greatly contributed to our knowledge of Early Carboniferous tetrapods, although the Scottish Late Carboniferous tetrapod record is comparatively lacking. We describe eight fossils belonging to tetrapod groups Nectridea, Baphetoidea, Embolomeri and Temnospondyli from material discovered in two lower Upper Carboniferous localities in the Scotland Midland Valley, of Langsettian substage (Bashkirian, Lower Pennsylvanian). These include the first nectridean discovered in Scotland, which we establish as a new genus and species ( Albadris smithsoni ), and the first temnospondyl discovered in Scottish Upper Carboniferous deposits. Phylogenetic analyses using multiple datasets analysed with Bayesian and parsimony criteria determine that Albadris is a nectridean, but conflicting character information makes it unclear whether it is a diplocaulid or urocordylid. An updated stratigraphical distribution of Scotland tetrapods shows that the nectridean specimen is among the oldest nectrideans discovered worldwide. This diverse collection of tetrapod fossils was found among several fish and invertebrate fossils in laminated shales, indicating a shallow, brackish or freshwater environment. These fossils contribute to our understanding of lower Late Carboniferous faunal communities of Scotland, an undersampled time series and region.