Welcome to Catnapin's
Paleozoic Amphibian Fossil Gallery
Animalia, Chordata,, Vertebrata, Amphibia
(Kingdom, Phylum, Subphylum, Class)
Red text = needs information
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Lepospondyli, Microsauria, Gymnarthridae
(Subclass, Order, Family)
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Cardiocephalus peabodyi - cast cast of the type specimen Common Name: Microsaur Period: Lower Permian Location: Dolese Quarry of Oklahoma Collection: Jo Cox Cast by: Bill May Painted by: Jo Cox (fossil & matrix true colors are tan) Size: 65 mm long block |
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Nectridea, Keraterpetontidae
(Order, Family)
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Diplocaulus magnicornis - cast Period: Lower Permian Location: Taylor Co. Texas Collection: Texas Memorial Museum at Austin Size: ? mm long |
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Description: adult skull |
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Diplocaulus magnicornis - cast Period: Lower Permian Location: Dolese Quarry of Oklahoma Collection : Jo Cox Cast by : Bill May Painted by : Jo Cox Size: 292 mm wide horns |
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Description: adult skull |
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Diplocaulus magnicornis Period: Vale formation, Clear Fork group, lower Permian Location: south of Abilene Texas Date found: February, 1998 Nickname: The twins Collection: Jo Cox & Judie Ostlien Identified by : Bill May Size: ? mm long |
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Description: Two baby skulls. Somewhat crushed. The texture, orbits (eye holes) and maxilla (upper jaw) are easily recognizable. |
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Temnospondyls The large group of animals classified under the order Temnospondyli were some of the first animals to hear high-frequency, air-borne sounds, and a wider range of sounds underwater. They may have used their hearing in mating calls, like frogs. At the end of the Permian, this large group of animals was reduced to 5 species. All of which were aquatic. Teeth The obsolete group name for these animals was Labyrinthodont. Labyrinth means maze and refers to the shape of these animals teeth. In cross section a tooth looks like a maze. This is because the dentine (the inner part of the tooth) and enamel (the hard coating) fold inward multiple times. |
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Temnospondyli, Euskelia, Eryopidae
(Order, Suborder, Family)
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Eryops megacephalus (EAR-y-AHPS MEG-e-SEF-e-lus) Period: Lower Permian Location: Geraldine Bone Bed, Archer County Texas Collection: Texas Memorial Museum at Austin Mounted by: Robert Rainey Size: 6 feet long, 280 pounds, skull 2 feet long |
Click the picture for more photos! |
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Eryops means “drawn-out eye”. This Genus was one of the few animals to exist for 20 million years without noticeable changes to its anatomy. Eryops was a carnivorous amphibian and one of the largest terrestrial animals of the time. They had stout enough legs for some dry land travel, but with a weak vertebral column preferred to lurk in rivers. As an adult, its only predators would be Dimetrodon on land and Orthacanthus (a fresh water shark) in the water. |
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Temnospondyli, Trimerorhachidae
(Order, Family)
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Trimerorhachis insignis - cast Period: Lower Permian Location: Dolese Quarry of Oklahoma Collection : Jo Cox Cast by : Bill May Painted by : Jo Cox Size: 107 mm long |
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Description: The name comes from the three part vertebra of the animal. |
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Trimerorhachis sp. Period: Pennsylvanian Location: ? Collection : Hardin-Simmons University Identified by: Jo Cox & Bill May Size: 23 mm tall |
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Description: left post orbital bone, on HSU plant slab A, red/black shale curved edge (lower left corner in photo) is the edge of the orbit (eye hole) |
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Amphibian Trackway
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Trackway Drag Period: Vale formation, Clear Fork group, lower Permian Location: south of Merkel Texas Collection: R. H. Tull Collected by: R. H. Tull Size: 222 mm wide x 231 mm tall slab |
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Description: amphibian footprints, toe drags, and tail drag. It is not possible to know what animal made these tracks but it is most likely some kind of small amphibian. |
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Clawed Footprint Period: Vale formation, Clear Fork group, lower Permian Location: south of Merkel Texas Collection: R. H. Tull Collected by: R. H. Tull Size: 85 mm wide x 65 mm tall slab 10 mm wide footprint |
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