Laidleria fossil map
Where fossils of Laidleria have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 252 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 252 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early tetrapods & amphibians |
|---|---|
| Lived | 247–241.464 million years ago |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Named by | Kitching 1957 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | South Africa |
| Rock formations | Burgersdorp |
About Laidleria
Laidleria is an extinct genus of temnospondyl that likely lived between the Early to Middle Triassic, though its exact stratigraphic range is less certain. Laidleria has been found in the Karoo Basin in South Africa, in Cynognathus Zone A or B. The genus is represented by only one species, L. gracilis, though the family Laidleriidae does include other genera, such as Uruyiella, sister taxon to Laidleria, which was discovered and classified in 2007.
Laidleria has been described as being among the smaller temnospondyls, being comparable in size to the smallest of the temnospondyl genera, the bulk of which lived immediately after the Permian-Triassic extinction event. Unlike many other temnospondyls, which were largely aquatic or semi-aquatic, Laidleria likely had a much more terrestrial lifestyle, with its body being covered in dermal armor. However, like other temnospondyls, Laidleria had a sprawling posture.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Laidleria (revision 1365861169), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q2567674.
