Microsauria

Microsauria is a group of small, extinct Paleozoic tetrapods traditionally classified among the lepospondyls. Its members varied in body form, habitat, and locomotion.

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Lepospondyli: Lepospondyli is a traditional grouping of Paleozoic tetrapods with distinctive vertebral construction. Microsaurs were traditionally placed within this broader group.
Aïstopoda: Aïstopods are limbless, elongate Paleozoic tetrapods traditionally grouped among lepospondyls. Their limbless bodies contrast with the varied but generally limb-bearing microsaurs.
Vertebral column: The vertebral column is the segmented axial support surrounding or protecting the spinal cord in vertebrates. Vertebral anatomy is central to identifying and comparing microsaur fossils.
Lepospondyl phylogeny: Lepospondyl phylogeny is the study of evolutionary relationships among tetrapods traditionally grouped as lepospondyls. Microsaur placement depends on how lepospondyl relationships are reconstructed.
Tetrapod: Tetrapods are vertebrates with four limbs or descended from four-limbed ancestors. Microsaurs belong to the early fossil history of land vertebrates.
Tuditanidae: Tuditanids are a family of small Paleozoic tetrapods commonly classified within Microsauria. They represent a recognized microsaur lineage with relatively generalized body forms.
Paleohistology: Paleohistology is the study of microscopic structure in fossilized biological tissues. Bone microstructure can provide evidence about microsaur growth and life history.
Early tetrapod evolution: Early tetrapod evolution is the diversification of four-limbed vertebrates and their descendants from aquatic ancestors. Microsaur classification bears on the branching pattern of early tetrapods.
Carboniferous: The Carboniferous is a geologic period spanning about 359 to 299 million years ago. Many well-known microsaur fossils come from Carboniferous deposits.
Microbrachis: Microbrachis is a small, aquatic or semiaquatic Paleozoic tetrapod commonly classified as a microsaur. Its short limbs and elongated trunk illustrate one microsaur body plan.