Ancient amphibians of Western Australia

Check out some of the amphibians that swam in the oceans and rivers of Western Australia. Compared to Europe and America not many fossil bones have been found in this country which means there are plenty more fossils and dinosaurs to discover. Our knowledge on Australian fossils and dinosaurs will continue to change as more fossils are found, this will be in your lifetime. Please also remember that Australia was joined to the continent of Gondwana and that the animals that roamed this huge continent may or may not have roamed what we now call Australia. Also remember we had different climates and different amphibians swam these oceans in the south than the oceans of the northern hemisphere. It is not our intention to cover every fossil of Australia or to discuss the differences in dates or facts between paleontologists. We can not give you the common name of a species, as no one was around to give them one, so you will have to have a go at saying their scientific name.
Amphibians were not dinosaurs.

The oldest known bone from an amphibian in Australia is from the Devonian period which was 410 - 354 million years ago. It was a jaw bone and found near Parkes in New South Wales.
Its name was called Metaxygnathus and it belonged to the group called Labyrinthodonts.
Other labyrinthodonts have also been found from the Mesozoic era and Triassic period.
The name Labyrinthodonts is referring to the maze of folds in their tooth structure.
Their jaws are lined with hundreds of stabbing teeth.
Labyrinthodonts hunted in streams, lakes and oceans.
In Australia the Labyrinthodonts lived until the Cretaceous period where as in America they died out in the Jurassic period.

Fossil marine creatures such as the Plesiosaurs and Ichthyosaurs were found before any land dinosaurs in Australia have been found. In the Blina Shale of Western Australia in a place called Canning Basin an amphibian species called Blinasaurus henwoodi skull and jaw was found from the Lower Triassic period. These amphibians had a short broad skull measuring 12 cm long and had large eye holes. It is thought that this creature fed on small fishes which lived in streams in the Kimberley. Other amphibians have also been found in Gosford NSW and Hobart Tasmania, Queensland and Sydney, from the lower and middle Triassic period.

<<<<<< Picture of Blinasaurus henwoodi skull from "Dinosaurs of Australia" by John Long

I am not sure if this is the same creature as the one above. This one here on the right was photographed at the Western Australian Museum and it was named Batrachosaurus henwoodi it to was found in the Kimberley at Blina station. This species was from the Triassic period around 240mya.

The left side of the skull, lower jaws and bones from the Family Rhytidosteidae species Deltasaurus kimberleyensis from the lower Triassic period was found in Blina Shale in the Canning Basin, Western Australia, and in Launceston Tasmania. Deltasaurus pustulosus was found near Geraldton Western Australia.

Picture from "Dinosaurs of Australia" by John Long. >>>>>>>>

The skull is broad with a narrow pointed front and the eyes are situated in the front half of the skull. The skull Deltasaurus kimberleyensis was about 24 cm long.

Family Trematosauridae species Erythrobatrachus noonkanbahensis from the lower Triassic period has been found in Blina Shale Western Australia. It had a long snout and narrow skull. The eyes are far back on the head and the nostrils open midway along the snout.

<<<<<<<< This is a picture of a reconstructed skull from pieces found. The estimated size of the skull is 35cm long which is one of the largest amphibian fossils found in Western Australia. This amphibian ate fish and lived in northern Australia.
Picture from "Dinosaurs of Australia" by John Long.

One of these Paracyclotosaurus was found as a complete skeleton measuring 2.25 metres in length and having many small sharp teeth. Its arms and legs were small and probably spent most of its time in the water where it ate fish coming on land for only short periods.

This specimen from the Family Capitosuridae a 'crocodile like' amphibian fossil has been found in Blina Shale, Canning Basin, Western Australia from the lower Triassic period. These amphibians had a long broad snout with eye holes situated far back on the creatures skull. They have also been found from Sydney and South Central Queensland.

Another site to check out about Australian amphibians

Text used;
"Dinosaurs of Australia" by John Long
Western Australian Museum, where many of the photographs were taken.

All pictures and photographs are under copyright laws and permission must be sought by John Long of the Western Australian Museum for the drawings.