The Paleontology of North America

Other Amphibians from North America

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Milneria
Milneria
© 2003 Spencer Lucas, New Mexico Museum of Natural History

Trimerorhachis
Trimerorhachis
© 2003 James Diffily

Metoposauroidea
Metoposauroidea
© 2003 James Diffily

What are Other Amphibians? Included here are extinct relatives of modern amphibians. They share some skull and limb modifications with living amphibians, but have their own distinct features. Members of this diverse group include a wide variety of forms, from the snake-like Aornerpeton (Aistopoda), which lacked limbs and had 230 vertebrae, to the newt-like Diplocaulus (Nectridea), which had a large, boomerang-shaped head. Most were aquatic, although some, like the Microsauria, were more adapted to terrestrial habitats and looked like small lizards. The oldest members of this group first appear in the Carboniferous, and the last members went extinct in the Permian.

First known fossil occurrence: Carboniferous.

Last known fossil occurrence: Permian.

Fossils through time:
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Quaternary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Carboniferous
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Precambrian