Microbrachis

Not to be confused with Microbrachius.

Microbrachis is an extinct genus of microsaurian tetrapod from the Carboniferous Kladno Formation of the Czech Republic.

Microbrachis Temporal range: Late Carboniferous 307.1–302 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil of Microbrachis pelikani
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Teleostomi
Clade:	Tetrapoda
Clade:	†Microsauria
Clade:	†Recumbirostra
Family:	†Microbrachidae Fritsch, 1883
Genus:	†Microbrachis Fric, 1875
Type species
†Microbrachis pelikani Fric, 1875

Description

Life restoration of Microbrachis pelikani

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]