Microbrachis
Extinct genus of tetrapods
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Microbrachis is an extinct genus of microsaurian tetrapod from the Carboniferous Kladno Formation of the Czech Republic.
| Microbrachis Temporal range: Late Carboniferous | |
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| Fossil of Microbrachis pelikani | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Stegocephali |
| Clade: | Tetrapoda |
| Clade: | Reptiliomorpha |
| Clade: | †Recumbirostra |
| Family: | †Microbrachidae Fritsch, 1883 |
| Genus: | †Microbrachis Fric, 1875 |
| Type species | |
| †Microbrachis pelikani Fric, 1875 | |
Description
Microbrachis was an elongated, salamander-like creature, about 15 centimetres (6 in) long, with over 40 vertebrae instead of the average 15–26 in its living relatives. It had minute limbs, and probably swam using fish-like lateral body movements. Microbrachis probably fed on fresh water plankton such as shrimp. Microbrachis was pedomorphic, retaining its larval gills in adulthood. Similar traits are found in the extant axolotl.[1]
