| Lydekkerinidae Temporal range: Triassic |
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| Life restoration of Lyddekerina huxleyi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | †Temnospondyli |
| Suborder: | †Stereospondyli |
| clade: | †Rhytidostea |
| Family: | †Lydekkerinidae Watson, 1919 |
| Genera | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Lydekkerinidae is a family of stereospondyl temnospondyls that lived in the Triassic period. During the Triassic, lydekkerinids had a global distribution. They were small-bodied with wedge-shaped, roughly triangular heads. Fossils have been found in Russia, Greenland, India, South Africa, Madagascar, and Australia. The type genus is Lydekkerina, the namesake of the family and the most well-known lydekkerinid.
Lydekkerinids have a distinguishing combination of characteristics. Synapomorphies, or unique characteristics, include a step-shaped contact between the nasal and prefrontal bones, indented lateral margins of the interpterygoid vacuities (two large holes in the palate), and straight cheek margins when the skull is viewed from behind. Other characteristics include frontal bones that do not touch the rims of the eye sockets and ridges on the pterygoid bones. Sensory sulci (canals running along the surface of the skull) are present in many temnospondyls but are hardly visible on lydekkerinid skulls. The infraorbital sulcus, a canal that runs below the eyes and nostrils, has a distinctive bend along its length. Small bumps called denticles cover much of the palate.[1]
Lydekkerinids are usually classified as basal stereospondyls. They have been placed in the clade Rhytidostea along with brachyopoids and rhytidosteids.[2]
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