Australia: The Land Where Time Began

A biography of the Australian continent 

Lapillopsis nana

This genus is from Arcadia Formation of Queensland. The description of this genus is based on many small skulls less than 2 cm long. Superficially it resembles micropholids. They lacked sensory-line grooves and had a long-stemmed interclavicle bone beneath the shoulder region. Both these features indicate that Lapillopsis was more adapted for life on land than any other Triassic temnospondyls from the Arcadia Formation.

Some of the diagnostic features of this genus are long jugal bones extending in front of the eyes. There are well-developed tabular horns and large orbits. The latter feature are probably features of immature animals. Sensory-line canals were not well developed. Some think Lapillopsis is closely related to Micropholis from Germany. Others disagree that it is closely related to the dissorophopids, believing it is more closely related to stereospondyls.

Sources & Further reading

John A Long, Dinosaurs of Australia and New Zealand, University of New South Wales Press