| Popis: |
Eocaecilia micropodia, an Early Jurassic caecilian from the Kayenta Formation of northeastern Arizona, is structurally comparable to Recent gymnophionans in numerous aspects but also possesses characters that are primitive or appear to be uniquely derived. The skull of Eocaecilia exhibits such distinctively caecilian features as (1) a sulcus along the orbital rim indicating the presence of a ten-taculum; (2) an os basale representing consolidation of the supraoccipital, exoccipital, basisphenoid, basioccipital, pleurosphenoid, and parasphenoid elements; (3) an internal naris posterior to the premaxillary–maxillary suture and medial to the tooth rows on the vomer and palatine; (4) enlarged nasal capsules; and (5) an olfactory eminence on the vomer. As in Recent caecilians, the lower jaw comprises a pseudodentary and pseudoangular that are joined along an elongate, oblique suture. The pseudoangular bears a robust internal process and an elongate re-troarticular process. The teeth are bicuspid and p... |
