Prehistoric Models: Amphibians
The term Amphibian comes from the Greek word “amphibios” meaning “to live a double life” in reference to the stages of their life cycle.
The first Amphibians appear during the Late Devonian some 370 million years ago and persist to this day.
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Clade: Eotetrapodiformes – Clade: Elpistostegalia – Clade: Stegocephalia – Subphylum: Vertebrata – Clade: Batrachomorpha – Class: Amphibia/Batrachomorpha – Subclass: Labyrinthodontia – Order: Ichthyostegalia
(earliest tetrapods)
Devonian
Genus: Acanthostega ”Spiny roof”
Genus pronounced: Eh-ry-ops
Species: A. gunneri
Named By: Erik Jarvik – 1952
Classification: Phylum: Chordata – Class: Amphibia – Subclass: Labyrinthodontia – Order: Ichthyostegalia – Family: Acanthostegidae
Time period: Devonian (Famennian)
Known locations: Eastern Greenland
Size: 60 centimeters long
Diet: Carnivore
Genus: Ichthyostega ”Fish roof”
Genus pronounced: Ik-fee-o-stay-gah
Species:I. stensioei (type),I.watsoni, I.egili, I.kochi
Named By: Gunnar Säve-Söderbergh – 1932
Classification: Phylum: Chordata – Class: Amphibia – Subclass: Labyrinthodontia – Order: Ichthyostegalia – Family: Ichthyostegidae
Time period: Devonian (Famennian)
Known locations: Eastern Greenland
Size: 1.5 meters long
Diet: Carnivore
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Subphylum: Vertebrata – Clade: Batrachomorpha – Class: Amphibia – Subclass: Labyrinthodontia – Order: Temnospondyli
(primitive amphibians)
Early Carboniferous (Mississippian) to Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
Genus: Eryops ”Drawn out face”
Genus pronounced: Eh-ry-ops
Species: E. megacephalus
Named By: Edward Drinker Cope - 1877
Classification: Phylum: Chordata – Class: Amphibia – Order: Temnospondyli – Superfamily: Eryopoidea – Family: Eryopidae
Time period: Pennsylvanian (Gzhelian) to Lower Permian (Kungurian)
Known locations: USA
Size: 1.5 to 2 meters long
Diet: Carnivore/Piscivore
Genus: Mastodonsaurus ”Breast tooth lizard”
Genus pronounced: Mas-toe-don-sore-us
Species: M. giganteus, M. jaegeri, M. torvus
Named By: G. F. Jaegar - 1828
Classification: Phylum: Chordata – Class: Amphibia – Order: Temnospondyli, – Suborder: Stereospondyli – Clade: Capitosauria – Family: Mastodonsauridae
Time period: Triassic (Anisian to Rhaetian)
Known locations: England - Bromsgrove Sandstone Formation, Wales - Sully Beds Formation, Germany - Erfurt Formation, and Russia - Bukobay Formation
Size: 4 to 6 meters long
Diet: Carnivore/Piscivore
Genus: Peltobatrachus ”Shield frog”
Genus pronounced: Pel-toe-ba-track-us
Species: P. Pustulatus
Named By: Panchen – 1959
Classification: Phylum: Chordata – Class: Amphibia – Order: Temnospondyli – Suborder: Stereospondyli – Family: Peltobatrachidae
Time period: Late Permian (Capitanian to Changhsingian)
Known locations: Tanzania
Size: 70 centimeters long
Diet: Carnivore/Insectivore
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Subphylum: Vertebrata – Clade: Batrachomorpha – Class: Amphibia – Subclass: Lepospondyli
(early tetrapods)
Early Carboniferous to Late Permian
Genus: Diplocaulus ”Double stalk”
Genus pronounced: Dip-low-cawl-us
Species: D. salamandroides(type),D. brevirostris, D. magnicornis
Named By: Edward Drinker Cope - 1882
Classification: Phylum: Chordata – Class: Amphibia – Subclass: Lepospondyli – Node: Holospondyli – Order: Nectridea – Family: Diplocaulidae
Time periodPermian
Known locations: USA, Texas
Size: 1 meters long
Diet: Carnivore/Piscivore
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Subphylum: Vertebrata – Clade: Batrachomorpha – Class: Amphibia – Subclass: Lissamphibia – Superorder: Batrachia – Clade: Salientia – Order: Anura
(modern amphibians – frogs)
Early Jurassic to Holocene
Genus and species: Agalychnis callidryas
Common name: Red-eyed tree frog
Classification: Family: Phyllomedusidae
Range: Central America (Neotropical rainforest)
Time: Holocene
Diet: Insectivore
Genus, species, and subspecies: Dendrobates tinctorius azureus
Common name: Blue poison dart frog
Classification: Family: Dendrobatidae
Range: Sipaliwini Savanna, Southern Suriname of northern Brazil
Time: Holocene
Diet: Insectivore
Genus and species: Oophaga pumilio
Common name: Strawberry poison-dart frog
Classification: Family: Dendrobatidae
Range: Central America
Time: Holocene
Diet: Insectivore
Genus and species: Lithobates catesbeianus
Common name: American bullfrog
Classification: Family: Ranidae
Range: Eastern North America
Time: Middle Miocene to Holocene
Diet: Insectivore/Carnivore
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Subphylum: Vertebrata – Clade: Batrachomorpha – Class: Amphibia – Subclass: Lissamphibia – Superorder: Batrachia – Clade: Caudata – Order: Urodela
(modern amphibians – salamanders)
Late Jurassic to Holocene
Genus and species: Pseudotriton ruber
Common name: Red Salamander
Classification: Family: Plethodontidae
Range: Eastern United States
Time: Holocene
Diet: Carnivore
Genus and species: Preteus anguinus
Common name: Olm Salamander/Cave Salamander
Classification: Order: Urodela – Family: Proteidae
Range: Caves in the Dinaric Alps
Time: Holocene
Diet: Carnivore
Genus and species: Necturus maculosus
Common name: Mudpuppy
Classification: Family: Necturus
Range: Central United States and Southern Canada
Time: Paleocene to Holocene
Diet: Carnivore
