The Paleontology of North America

Caecilians from North America

What are Caecilians? Caecilians (Gymnophiona) are a group of amphibians that look far more like worms than they do like other amphibians. They live in leaf litter, soil, and even ponds, mainly in tropical areas. Their solid skulls are often chisel-shaped, and are specialized for burrowing or swimming. The rarity of fossil caecilians is probably due to their reduced skeleton, and their patchy fossil record extends back to the Early Jurassic.

First known fossil occurrence: Jurassic.

Last known fossil occurrence: Quaternary. This group has living relatives.

Fossils through time:
Choose a time period to see what life was like:

Quaternary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Carboniferous
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Precambrian