Microposaurus fossil map
Where fossils of Microposaurus 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 |
| Family | Trematosauridae |
| Named by | Haughton 1925 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | South Africa, Australia |
| Rock formations | Burgersdorp, Ashfield Shale |
About Microposaurus
Microposaurus (meaning "small eyed lizard"; from Greek μικρός, "small" + ὤψ, "face" or "eye" + σαῦρος, "lizard") is an extinct genus of trematosaurid temnospondyl. Fossils are known from the Cynognathus Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group (part of the Karoo Supergroup) in South Africa and the Rouse Hill Siltstone of Australia that date back to the Anisian stage of the Middle Triassic. These aquatic creatures were the short snouted lineage from Trematosaurinae.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Microposaurus (revision 1334776277), 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: Q557234.
