Laidleria uncovered: a redescription of Laidleria gracilis Kitching (1957), a temnospondyl from the Cynognathus Zone of South Africa

The holotype skull of Laidleria gracilis Kitching has been prepared from the dorsal surface, and the skull disarticulated from the vertebral column to expose the occiput. Unexpected features of the dorsal skull roof are the absence of an otic notch and tabular horn. The occiput has reduced paroccipital processes with extremely small or absent posttemporal fenestrae as a consequence of the lack of the tabular horns. Both stapes are in place with their distal ends anterior to an exceptionally deep occipital flange formed by ventral processes from the postparietals, tabulars, squamosals and quadratojugals. They thus abut the ventral surface of the skull roof rather than a tympanum. The vertebrae have well ossified, almost spool-shaped, intercentra associated with small, paired, pleurocentra. It is concluded that L. gracilis should be left in its own family, the Laidleriidae, which may prove the sister group to the Rhytidosteidae.