Permian tetrapods
Encyclopedia
Permian Tetrapods were amphibians and reptiles that lived during the Permian Period
.
During this time, amphibian
s remained common, including various Temnospondyli
and Lepospondyli
. Synapsid
s became the dominant type of animal, represented by the Pelycosaur
s during the Early Permian and Therapsids during the Middle and Late Permian, and distinguished by the appearance and possession of mammal-like characteristics (hence the old term "mammal-like reptiles"). These were accompanied by Anapsid
s or Parareptiles, which included both lizard-like and large herbivorous forms, and primitive diapsid
s.
Superclass Tetrapod
a
Series Amniota
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
.
During this time, amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s remained common, including various Temnospondyli
Temnospondyli
Temnospondyli is a diverse order of small to giant tetrapods—often considered primitive amphibians—that flourished worldwide during the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic periods. A few species continued into the Cretaceous. Fossils have been found on every continent...
and Lepospondyli
Lepospondyli
Lepospondyli are a group of small but diverse Carboniferous to early Permian tetrapods. Six different groups are known, the Acherontiscidae, Adelospondyli, Aïstopoda, Lysorophia, Microsauria and Nectridea, and between them they include newt-like, eel- or snake-like, and lizard-like forms, along...
. Synapsid
Synapsid
Synapsids are a group of animals that includes mammals and everything more closely related to mammals than to other living amniotes. They are easily separated from other amniotes by having an opening low in the skull roof behind each eye, leaving a bony arch beneath each, accounting for their name...
s became the dominant type of animal, represented by the Pelycosaur
Pelycosaur
The pelycosaurs are an informal grouping composed of basal or primitive Late Paleozoic synapsid amniotes. Some species were quite large and could grow up to 3 meters or more, although most species were much smaller...
s during the Early Permian and Therapsids during the Middle and Late Permian, and distinguished by the appearance and possession of mammal-like characteristics (hence the old term "mammal-like reptiles"). These were accompanied by Anapsid
Anapsid
An anapsid is an amniote whose skull does not have openings near the temples.While "anapsid reptiles" or "anapsida" are traditionally spoken of as if they were a monophyletic group, it has been suggested that several groups of reptiles that had anapsid skulls may be only distantly related...
s or Parareptiles, which included both lizard-like and large herbivorous forms, and primitive diapsid
Diapsid
Diapsids are a group of reptiles that developed two holes in each side of their skulls, about 300 million years ago during the late Carboniferous period. Living diapsids are extremely diverse, and include all crocodiles, lizards, snakes, and tuatara...
s.
Classification
The following list of families of Permian tetrapods is based mostly on Benton ed. 1993. The classification follows Benton 2004:Superclass Tetrapod
Tetrapod
Tetrapods are vertebrate animals having four limbs. Amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals are all tetrapods; even snakes and other limbless reptiles and amphibians are tetrapods by descent. The earliest tetrapods evolved from the lobe-finned fishes in the Devonian...
a
- Class Amphibia
-
-
-
- Order TemnospondyliTemnospondyliTemnospondyli is a diverse order of small to giant tetrapods—often considered primitive amphibians—that flourished worldwide during the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic periods. A few species continued into the Cretaceous. Fossils have been found on every continent...
-
-
- Family Edopidae
- Family CochleosauridaeCochleosauridaeCochleosauridae is a family of Temnospondyli.-External links:*...
- Family TrimerorhachidaeTrimerorhachidaeTrimerorhachidae is a family of dvinosaurian temnospondyls....
- Family Dvinosauridae
- Family Saurerpetontidae
- Family BrachyopidaeBrachyopidaeBrachyopidae is an extinct family of Temnospondyl labyrintodonts. They evolved in the early Mesozoic and were mostly aquatic. A fragmentary find from Lesotho, Africa is estimated to have been 7 meter long, the largest amphibian ever known to have lived besides Prionosuchus.-External links:*...
- Family ActinodontidaeActinodontidaeActinodontidae is a family of Temnospondyli of the superfamily Archegosauroidea that lived in the Permian period....
- Family Intasuchidae
- Family ArchegosauridaeArchegosauridaeArchegosauridae is a family of relatively large and long snouted temnospondyls that lived in the Permian period. Most appeared and probably behaved like crocodiles.-References:...
- Family RhinesuchidaeRhinesuchidaeRhinesuchidae is a family of Temnospondyli that lived in the Permian and Triassic period.-External links:*...
- Family Uranocentrodontidae
- Family ZatrachydidaeZatrachydidaeThe Zatrachydidae are a family of late Carboniferous and Early Permian temnospondyl amphibians, known from North America and Europe. They are distinguished by lateral bony protuberances of the Quadratojugal bone of the skull, and a large opening in the palate. The skull is flattened, with...
- Family EryopidaeEryopidaeEryopidae are a family of medium to large Permian temnospondyli amphibians, known from North America and Europe. They are defined cladistically as all Eryopoidea with interpterygoid vacuities that are rounded at the front; and large external nares...
- Family Parioxyidae
- Family Peltobatrachidae
- Family Trematopidae
- Family DissorophidaeDissorophidaeDissorophidae is an extinct family of medium-sized, temnospondyl amphibians that flourished during the Late Pennsylvanian and early Permian periods in what is now North America and Europe...
- Family MicromelerpetontidaeMicromelerpetontidaeThe Micromelerpetontidae was a family of Temnospondyli....
- Family Branchiosauridae
- Family AmphibamidaeAmphibamidaeAmphibamidae is an extinct family of dissorophoid euskelian temnospondyls. The earliest amphibamids such as Amphibamus are known from Early Permian strata in the United States, while the last known amphibamid, Micropholis, is known from the Early Triassic Karoo Basin of South Africa...
-
- Order Temnospondyli
- Superorder LepospondyliLepospondyliLepospondyli are a group of small but diverse Carboniferous to early Permian tetrapods. Six different groups are known, the Acherontiscidae, Adelospondyli, Aïstopoda, Lysorophia, Microsauria and Nectridea, and between them they include newt-like, eel- or snake-like, and lizard-like forms, along...
-
- Order AïstopodaAïstopodaAïstopoda is an order of highly specialised snake-like amphibians known from the Carboniferous and Early Permian of Europe and North America, ranging from tiny forms only , to nearly in length...
-
-
- Family Phlegethontiidae
-
- Order NectrideaNectrideaNectridea is an extinct order of lepospondyl amphibians from the Carboniferous and Permian periods, which included animals such as Diplocaulus. In appearance, they would have resembled modern newts or aquatic salamanders. They had long flattened tails to aid in swimming, and well-developed hind...
-
-
- Family Diplocaulidae
- Family Scincosauridae
- Family Urocordylidae
-
- Order LysorophiaLysorophiaLysorophia is an order of aquatic Carboniferous and Permian amphibians within the extinct subclass Lepospondyli. Lysorophians resembled small snakes, as their bodies are extremely elongate. There is a single family, the Lysorophidae...
-
-
- Family LysorophidaeLysorophiaLysorophia is an order of aquatic Carboniferous and Permian amphibians within the extinct subclass Lepospondyli. Lysorophians resembled small snakes, as their bodies are extremely elongate. There is a single family, the Lysorophidae...
- Family Lysorophidae
-
- Order MicrosauriaMicrosauriaMicrosauria is an extinct order of lepospondyl amphibians from the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods. It is the most diverse and species-rich group of lepospondyls. Recently, Microsauria has been considered paraphyletic, as several other non-microsaur lepospondyl groups such as...
-
-
- Family Microbrachidae
- Family Brachyslechidae
- Family TuditanidaeTuditanidaeTuditanidae is an extinct family of tuditanomorph microsaurs. Fossils have been found from Nova Scotia, Ohio, and the Czech Republic and are Late Carboniferous in age.Tuditanids were medium-sized terrestrial microsaurs that resembled lizards...
- Family HapsidopareiontidaeHapsidopareiontidaeHapsidopareiontidae is an extinct family of tuditanomorph microsaurs. Hapsidopareiontids are known from the Early Permian of the United States and possibly Germany and the Czech Republic....
- Family Pantylidae
- Family GymnarthridaeGymnarthridaeGymnarthridae is an extinct family of tuditanomorph microsaurs. Gymnarthrids are known from Europe and North America and existed from the Late Carboniferous through the Early Permian. Remains have been found from the Czech Republic, Nova Scotia, Illinois, Texas, and Oklahoma.Gymnarthrids are...
- Family Ostodolepididae
- Family Rhynchonkidae
- Family Cocytinidae
-
- Order Aïstopoda
-
-
-
-
- Superorder ReptiliomorphaReptiliomorphaReptiliomorpha refers to an order or subclass of reptile-like amphibians, which gave rise to the amniotes in the Carboniferous. Under phylogenetic nomenclature, the Reptiliomorpha includes their amniote descendants though, even in phylogenetic nomenclature, the name is mostly used when referring to...
-
- Order AnthracosauriaAnthracosauriaAnthracosauria is an order of extinct reptile-like amphibians that flourished during the Carboniferous and early Permian periods, although precisely which species are included depends on one's definition of the taxon.-Various definitions:...
-
-
- Family EogyrinidaeEogyrinidaeEogyrinidae is an extinct family of large, long-bodied tetrapods that lived in the rivers of the Late Carboniferous period....
- Family ArcheriidaeArcheriidaeArcheriidae is a family of embolomeres that lived in the Permian period. Archeria is a well known genus of archeriid....
- Family ChroniosuchidaeChroniosuchidaeThe Chroniosuchidae are a family of semi-aquatic reptiliomorp amphibians found in sediments from the upper Permian and the upper Triassic periods, most in Russia. They were generally rather large animals, with long jaws similar to those found in modern crocodiles, and probably lived a similar life...
- Family Bystrowianidae
- Family Eogyrinidae
-
- Order SeymouriamorphaSeymouriamorphaSeymouriamorpha were a small but widespread group of reptiliomorphs. Many seymouriamorphs were terrestrial or semi-aquatic. However, aquatic larvae bearing external gills and grooves from the lateral line system has been found, making them unquestionably amphibians. The adults were terrestrial...
-
-
- Family Seymouriidae
- Family DiscosauriscidaeDiscosauriscidaeDiscosauriscidae is a family of reptiliomorphs of the early Permian group Seymouriamorpha....
- Family Kotlassiidae
-
- Orders/Suborders Uncertain
-
- Family Leptorophidae
- Family Enosuchidae
- Family Nycleroleridae
- Family Tokosauridae
- Family Lanthanosuchidae
- Family Tseajiidae
-
- Order DiadectomorphaDiadectomorphaDiadectomorpha are a clade of large reptile-like amphibians that lived in Euramerica during the Carboniferous and Early Permian periods, and are very close to the ancestry of the Amniota. They include both large carnivorous and even larger herbivorous forms, some semi-aquatic and others fully...
-
-
- Family Limnoscelididae
- Family DiadectidaeDiadectidaeDiadectidae is an extinct family of large diadectomorph reptiliomorphs. Diadectids lived in North America and Europe during the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian. They were the first herbivorous tetrapods, and also the first fully terrestrial animals to attain large sizes. Footprints indicate...
-
- Order Anthracosauria
- Superorder Reptiliomorpha
-
Series Amniota
- Class SauropsidaSauropsidaSauropsida is a group of amniotes that includes all existing reptiles and birds and their fossil ancestors, including the dinosaurs, the immediate ancestors of birds...
- Subclass Anapsida
-
-
-
-
-
- Family AcleistorhinidaeAcleistorhinidaeAcleistorhinidae is a family of Early Permian-aged parareptiles. Presently, the clade consists of only two taxa, Colobomycter and Acleistorhinus, both collected from the Permian of Oklahoma. Sister taxa include Nyctiphruretidae and Sclerosauridae....
- Family Eunotosauridae
- Family Mesosauridae
- Family Millerettidae
- Family Nyctiphruretidae
- Family Procolophonidae
- Family PareiasauridaePareiasaurThe Pareiasaurs - Family Pareiasauridae - are a clade of medium-sized to large herbivorous anapsid reptiles that flourished during the Permian period....
- Basal EureptiliaEureptiliaEureptilia is one of the two major clades of the Sauropsida, the other being Anapsida . Eureptilia includes not only all Diapsids, but also a number of primitive Permo-Carboniferous forms previously classified under the Anapsida, in the old order "Cotylosauria".Primitive eureptilians were all...
- Basal Eureptilia
- Family CaptorhinidaeCaptorhinidaeCaptorhinidae is one of the earliest and most basal reptile families.-Description:...
- Family ProtorothyrididaeProtorothyrididaeProtorothyrididae is a family of small, lizard-like reptiles. Their skulls did not have fenestrae, as is also true of modern turtles and tortoises. Protorothyridids lived from the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian periods, in what is now North America. Many genera of primitive reptiles were...
- Subclass Diapsida
- Family Acleistorhinidae
-
- Order AraeoscelidiaAraeoscelidiaAraeoscelidia or Araeoscelida is a clade of extinct diapsid reptiles superficially resembling lizards, extending from the Late Carboniferous to the Early Permian....
-
-
- Family Araeoscelididae
-
- Orders unspecified
-
- Family Weigeltisauridae
- Family Claudiosauridae
- Family Heleosauridae
-
- Order YounginiformesYounginiformesYounginiformes is a replacement name for the taxon Eosuchia, proposed by Alfred Romer in 1947.The Eosuchia having become rather a dustbin for many probably distantly-related primitive diapsid reptiles ranging from the late Carboniferous to the Eocene, Romer proposed that this be replaced by...
-
-
- Family AcerosodontosaurusAcerosodontosaurusAcerosodontosaurus is an extinct genus of diapsid reptile....
- Family Younginidae
- Family TangasauridaeTangasauridaeTangasauridae is a family of eosuchian diapsids. Specimens have been found that are of Late Permian to Early Triassic in age from the Sakamena Group of western Madagascar. They lived alongside other taxa present from the Sakamena Group, including temnospondyls, rhynchosaurs, and gomphodont...
- Family Galesphyridae
- Family Acerosodontosaurus
-
-
- Infraclass LepidosauromorphaLepidosauromorphaLepidosauromorpha is a group of reptiles comprising all diapsids closer to lizards than to archosaurs . The only living sub-group is the Lepidosauria: extant lizards, snakes, and tuatara...
-
-
-
- Family Paliguanidae
-
-
- Infraclass ArchosauromorphaArchosauromorphaArchosauromorpha is an infraclass of diapsid reptiles that first appeared during the late Permian and became more common during the Triassic. Included in this infraclass are the groups Rhynchosauria, Trilophosauridae, Prolacertiformes, Archosauriformes, and, tentatively, Choristodera...
-
- Order ProlacertiformesProlacertiformesProlacertiformes were an order of archosauromorph reptiles that lived during the Permian and Triassic Periods...
-
-
- Family ProtorosauridaeProtorosaurusProtorosaurus , a lizard-like reptile of the order Prolacertiformes, is the earliest known archosauromorph. It lived during the Late Permian period in Germany. In 1914, a new ceratopsian dinosaur found by Lawrence Lambe was again given the name Protorosaurus...
- Family Protorosauridae
-
- Division ArchosaurArchosaurArchosaurs are a group of diapsid amniotes whose living representatives consist of modern birds and crocodilians. This group also includes all extinct non-avian dinosaurs, many extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosauria, the archosaur clade, is a crown group that includes the most...
ia/ Order "ThecodontThecodontThecodont , now considered an obsolete term, was formerly used to describe a diverse range of early archosaurs that first appeared in the Latest Permian and flourished until the end of the Triassic period...
ia"
-
-
- Family ProterosuchidaeProterosuchidaeProterosuchidae is an early, possibly paraphyletic, assemblage of basal archosauriformes whose fossils are known from the Latest Permian of Russia and the Early Triassic of southern Africa, Russia, China, Australia, and Antarctica...
- Class Synapsida
- Family Proterosuchidae
-
- Order PelycosaurPelycosaurThe pelycosaurs are an informal grouping composed of basal or primitive Late Paleozoic synapsid amniotes. Some species were quite large and could grow up to 3 meters or more, although most species were much smaller...
ia
-
-
- Family EothyrididaeEothyrididaeThe Eothyrididae were a small group of very primitive, insectivorous synapsids. Only two genera are known, Eothyris and Oedaleops, both from the early Permian of North America...
- Family CaseidaeCaseidaeThe Caseidae were a widespread group of very primitive herbivorous synapsids, which appeared during the later early Permian and persisted until the late middle Permian. Although ranging in size from 1 to 5½ meters in body length, caseids were surprisingly conservative in their skeletal anatomy and...
- Family VaranopidaeVaranopidaeVaranopidae was a family of synapsid "pelycosaurs" that resembled monitor lizards and might have had the same lifestyle, hence their name. No known varanopids developed a sail like Dimetrodon. Their size varied from lizard-sized to dog-sized creatures. Varanopids already showed some advanced...
- Family OphiacodontidaeOphiacodontidaeOphiacodontidae were pelycosaur synapsids. They appeared in the late Carboniferous period. Archaeothyris, and Clepsydrops were among the earliest Ophiacodontids. Archaeothyris and its relatives were the members of this family. Some ophiacodonts were semi-aquatic, and few were fully aquatic, but...
- Family EdaphosauridaeEdaphosauridaeEdaphosauridae is a family of mostly large advanced, Late Pennsylvanian to early Permian pelycosaurs.They were the earliest known herbivorous amniotes, and along with the Diadectidae the earliest known herbivorous tetrapods...
- Family SphenacodontidaeSphenacodontidaeSphenacodontidae is a family of small to large, advanced, carnivorous, Late Pennsylvanian to middle Permian pelycosaurs. Primitive forms were generally small in size , but during the later part of the early Permian these animals grew progressively larger , to become the top predators of their...
- Family Eothyrididae
-
- Order Therapsida
-
-
- TetraceratopsTetraceratopsTetraceratops insignis was a lizard-like synapsid. It lived during the Early Permian period. According to a recent, controversial report, T. insignis is the first known therapsid. Other scientists, on the other hand, say that it is a more primitive species of synapsid, possibly an unusual,...
- Tetraceratops
- Suborder BiarmosuchiaBiarmosuchiaBiarmosuchia, also known as Eotitanosuchia and Phthinosuchia, is an assemblage of primitive Permian therapsids that represent either a paraphyletic stem group or a very early off-shoot of the main therapsid tree....
-
- Family Phthinosuchidae
- Family BiarmosuchidaeBiarmosuchusBiarmosuchus tener was a therapsid that lived around 255 mya during the late Permian period. It was discovered in the Perm region of Russia. The specimen was found in channel sandstone that was deposited by flood waters originating from the young Ural mountains. The species is the most primitive of...
- Family Ictidorhinidae
- Family BurnetiidaeBurnetiidaeThe Burnetiids were a family belonging to the Biarmosuchian clade that lived in the Permian Period. This family contains Bullacephalus, Burnetia, Lemurosaurus, Lobalopex, Niuksenitia, Paraburnetia and Proburnetia....
- Family EotitanosuchidaeEotitanosuchusEotitanosuchus olsoni is a mammal-like reptile whose fossils were found in the town of Ochyor in Perm Krai, Russia, in channel flood deposits along with Biarmosuchus tener, Estemmenosuchus uralensis and Estemmenosuchus mirabilis.It lived about 255 mya and was a very large animal; although the...
- Suborder DinocephaliaDinocephaliaDinocephalia are a clade of large early therapsids that flourished during the Middle Permian, but became extinct leaving no descendants.-Description:...
-
- Family EstemmenosuchidaeEstemmenosuchidaeEstemmenosuchidae are a family of large, very early herbivorous mammal-like reptiles that flourished during the Middle Permian period. They are distinguished by horn-like structures, probably for display or agonistic behavior. Apart from the best known genus, Estemmenosuchus, the group is poorly...
- Family AnteosauridaeAnteosauridaeThe Anteosauridae or Anteosaurinae are a family or subfamily of very large carnivorous Dinocephalia that are known from the Middle Permian of Russia and South Africa...
- Family TitanosuchidaeTitanosuchidaeThe titanosuchids were carnivorous to omnivorous tapinocephalid dinocephalians. As with other tapinocephalids, they had thick-skulls probably for head-butting. They appeared in the Middle Permian. They had large canine teeth, and their incisors were very strong...
- Family TapinocephalidaeTapinocephalidaeTapinocephalidae is an advanced family of tapinocephalians. They were all herbivores. They were giants of their time, weighing from 500 to 1000 kg and possibly over 1 or 2 tonnes in weight. They are known from South Africa and Russia. The tapinocephalid skull is very thick, probably used for...
- Family Estemmenosuchidae
- Suborder GorgonopsiaGorgonopsiaGorgonopsia is a suborder of therapsid synapsids. Their name is a reference to the Gorgons of Greek mythology. Like other therapsids, gorgonopsians were at one time called "mammal-like reptiles"...
-
- Family GorgonopsidaeGorgonopsiaGorgonopsia is a suborder of therapsid synapsids. Their name is a reference to the Gorgons of Greek mythology. Like other therapsids, gorgonopsians were at one time called "mammal-like reptiles"...
- Family Gorgonopsidae
- Suborder AnomodontAnomodontThe Anomodontia were a major group of therapsids, an extinct group of animals commonly known as "mammal-like reptiles." They were mostly toothless herbivores. During the Middle Permian they were very diverse, including groups like the Venyukovioidea, the Dromasauria, the Dicynodontia, and early...
ia/DicynodontDicynodontDicynodontia is a taxon of anomodont therapsids or mammal-like reptiles. Dicynodonts were small to large herbivorous animals with two tusks, hence their name, which means 'two dog tooth'...
ia
-
- Family Dromasauridae
- Family Otsheriidae
- Family Galeopidae
- Family Venjukoviidae
- Family Eodicynodontidae
- Family Endothiodontidae
- Family CryptodontidaeCryptodontidaeThe family Cryptodontidae was a group of anomodonts from the Permian and Triassic time periods.-Permian:In the Permian time period cryptodontids lived in what is now India and South Africa.-Classification:...
- Family Aulacephalodontidae
- Family Dicynodontidae
- Family Pristerodontidae
- Family Emydopidae
- Family Robertiidae
- Family Kingoriidae
- Family Pristerognathidae
- Suborder TherocephaliaTherocephaliaTherocephalians are an extinct suborder of carnivorous eutheriodont therapsids that lived from the middle and late Permian into the Triassic 265.0—245.0 Ma existing for approximately ....
-
- Family Hofmeyeriidae
- Family Euchambersiidae
- Family Whaitsiidae
- Family Ictidosuchidae
- Family Scaloposauridae
- Family Lycideopsidae
- Suborder CynodontCynodontCynodontia or cynodonts are a taxon of therapsids which first appeared in the Late Permian and were eventually distributed throughout all seven continents by the Early Triassic . This clade includes modern mammals and their extinct close relatives. They were one of the most diverse groups of...
ia
-
- Family Dviniidae
- Family ProcynosuchidaeProcynosuchidaeProcynosuchidae, along with Dviniidae, were the earliest cynodonts. They appeared around 260 million years ago, and were most abundant during the latest Permian time , shortly before the Permian-Triassic extinction event...
- Family GalesauridaeGalesauridaeGalesauridae, along with the family Thrinaxodontidae and the large clade Eucynodontia make up the unranked taxon called Epicynodontia...
-
- Order Prolacertiformes
-
-