![]() ![]() This six-inch-long creature was once thought to have represented the larval stage of larger "temnospondyl" amphibians (like Eryops), but an increasing number of paleontologists believe that it deserves its own genus. ![]() Brachiosaurus was one of the largest dinosaurs ever to roam the earth, but Branchiosaurus (which lived 150 million years earlier) was one of the smallest of all the prehistoric amphibians. It's amazing what a difference a single letter can make. Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size oversized head splayed limbs.Historical Period: Late Carboniferous-Early Permian (310-290 million years ago).Name: Branchiosaurus (Greek for "gill lizard") pronounced BRANK-ee-oh-SORE-us.Whatever the case, Amphibamus was a small, inoffensive creature, only slightly more sophisticated than its recent tetrapod ancestors. Amphibamus seems to have been a much smaller version of the larger, crocodile-like "temnospondyl" amphibians (such as Eryops and Mastodonsaurus) that dominated terrestrial life at this time, but it might also have represented the point in evolutionary history when frogs and salamanders split off from the amphibian family tree. In the case of Amphibamus, the story is a bit more complicated the word "amphibian" was already in wide currency when the famous paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope bestowed this name on a fossil dating from the late Carboniferous period. It's often the case that the genus that lends its name to a family of creatures is the least understood member of that family. Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size salamander-like body.Size and Weight: About six inches long and a few ounces.Historical Period: Late Carboniferous (300 million years ago).Habitat: Swamps of North America and western Europe.Name: Amphibamus (Greek for "equal legs") pronounced AM-fih-BAY-muss. ![]()
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