Permian tetrapods were amphibians and reptiles that lived during the Permian Period. During this time,

amphibian Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbo ...

s remained common, including various

Temnospondyli Temnospondyli (from Greek τέμνειν, ''temnein'' 'to cut' and σπόνδυλος, ''spondylos'' 'vertebra') is a diverse order of small to giant tetrapods—often considered primitive amphibians—that flourished worldwide during the Carb ...

and

Lepospondyli Lepospondyli is a diverse taxon of early tetrapods. With the exception of one late-surviving lepospondyl from the Late Permian of Morocco ('' Diplocaulus minumus''), lepospondyls lived from the Early Carboniferous ( Mississippian) to the Early Pe ...

Synapsid Synapsids + (, 'arch') > () "having a fused arch"; synonymous with ''theropsids'' (Greek, "beast-face") are one of the two major groups of animals that evolved from basal amniotes, the other being the sauropsids, the group that includes reptil ...

s became the dominant type of animal, represented by the

Pelycosaur Pelycosaur ( ) is an older term for basal or primitive Late Paleozoic synapsids, excluding the therapsids and their descendants. Previously, the term ''mammal-like reptile'' had been used, and pelycosaur was considered an order, but this is ...

s during the

Early Permian 01 or '01 may refer to: * The year 2001, or any year ending with 01 * The month of January * 1 (number) Music * 01'' (Richard Müller album), 2001 * ''01'' (Son of Dave album), 2000 * ''01'' (Urban Zakapa album), 2011 * ''O1'' (Hiroyuki Sawan ...

and

Therapsid Therapsida is a major group of eupelycosaurian synapsids that includes mammals, their ancestors and relatives. Many of the traits today seen as unique to mammals had their origin within early therapsids, including limbs that were oriented more ...

s during the Middle and Late Permian, and distinguished by the appearance and possession of mammal-like characteristics (hence the old term "mammal-like reptiles"). These were accompanied by

Anapsid An anapsid is an amniote whose skull lacks one or more skull openings (fenestra, or fossae) near the temples. Traditionally, the Anapsida are the most primitive subclass of amniotes, the ancestral stock from which Synapsida and Diapsida evolv ...

s or

Parareptile Parareptilia ("at the side of reptiles") is a subclass or clade of basal sauropsids (reptiles), typically considered the sister taxon to Eureptilia (the group that likely contains all living reptiles and birds). Parareptiles first arose near th ...

s, which included both lizard-like and large herbivorous forms, and primitive

diapsid Diapsids ("two arches") are a clade of sauropsids, distinguished from more primitive eureptiles by the presence of two holes, known as temporal fenestrae, in each side of their skulls. The group first appeared about three hundred million years a ...

Classification

The following list of families of Permian tetrapods is based mostly on Benton ed. 1993. The classification follow
Benton 2004
Superclass

Tetrapod Tetrapods (; ) are four-limbed vertebrate animals constituting the superclass Tetrapoda (). It includes extant and extinct amphibians, sauropsids ( reptiles, including dinosaurs and therefore birds) and synapsids ( pelycosaurs, extinct t ...

a * Class

Amphibia Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbo ...

:::* Order

:::::* Family Edopidae :::::* Family

Cochleosauridae Cochleosauridae is a family of edopoid temnospondyl amphibians, among the most basal of temnospondyls. Most members of this family are known from the late Carboniferous ( Pennsylvanian) and early Permian (Cisuralian) of Europe and North America, ...

:::::* Family Trimerorhachidae :::::* Family Dvinosauridae :::::* Family Saurerpetontidae :::::* Family

Brachyopidae Brachyopidae is an extinct family of temnospondyl labyrintodonts. They evolved in the early Mesozoic and were mostly aquatic. A fragmentary find from Lesotho, Africa is estimated to have been long, the largest amphibian ever known to have lived ...

:::::* Family

Actinodontidae Eryopidae were a group of medium to large amphibious temnospondyli, known from North America and Europe. They are defined as all eryopoids with interpterygoid vacuities (spaces in the interpterygoid bone) that are rounded at the front; and larg ...

:::::* Family Intasuchidae :::::* Family Archegosauridae :::::* Family Rhinesuchidae :::::* Family Uranocentrodontidae :::::* Family Zatrachydidae :::::* Family Eryopidae :::::* Family Parioxyidae :::::* Family

Peltobatrachidae ''Peltobatrachus'' (from Greek ''pelte'', meaning shield and batrakhos, meaning frog) is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian from the late Permian period of Tanzania. The sole species, ''Peltobatrachus pustulatus'', is also the sole member ...

:::::* Family

Trematopidae Trematopidae is a family of dissorophoid temnospondyl spanning the late Carboniferous to the early Permian. Together with Dissorophidae, the family forms Olsoniformes, a clade comprising the medium-large terrestrial dissorophoids. Trematopids a ...

:::::* Family

Dissorophidae Dissorophidae is an extinct family of medium-sized, temnospondyl amphibians that flourished during the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods. The clade is known almost exclusively from North America. History of study Dissorophidae is a ...

:::::* Family

Micromelerpetontidae Micromelerpetontidae (also spelled Micromelerpetidae) is an extinct family of dissorophoid temnospondyl amphibians that lived from the Late Carboniferous to the Early Permian in what is now Europe, with one Carboniferous species also known from ...

:::::* Family

Branchiosauridae Branchiosauridae is an extinct family of small amphibamiform temnospondyls with external gills and an overall juvenile appearance. The family has been characterized by hundreds of well-preserved specimens from the Permo-Carboniferous of Middle ...

:::::* Family

Amphibamidae The Amphibamidae are an extinct family of dissorophoid temnospondyls known from Late Carboniferous-Early Permian strata in the United States. Classification Amphibamidae has traditionally included small-bodied, terrestrial dissorophoids. The ...

::* Superorder

:::* Order

Aïstopoda Aistopoda (Greek for " avingnot-visible feet") is an order of highly specialised snake-like stegocephalians known from the Carboniferous and Early Permian of Europe and North America, ranging from tiny forms only , to nearly in length. They fir ...

:::::* Family

Phlegethontiidae Phlegethontiidae is a family of extinct aistopod amphibians including the genera ''Phlegethontia'' and ''Sillerpeton ''Sillerpeton'' is an extinct genus of aïstopod tetrapodomorphs within the family Phlegethontiidae. It contains a single sp ...

:::* Order

Nectridea Nectridea is the name of an extinct order of lepospondyl tetrapods from the Carboniferous and Permian periods, including animals such as '' Diplocaulus''. In appearance, they would have resembled modern newts or aquatic salamanders, although the ...

:::::* Family

Diplocaulidae The Diplocaulidae ("double cauls") is an extinct family of lepospondyl amphibians that arose during the Late Carboniferous and died out in the Late Permian. They are distinguished from other amphibians, extinct and extant, by the presence of st ...

:::::* Family

Scincosauridae The Scincosauridae are an extinct family of nectridean lepospondyl amphibians. It includes the genera ''Scincosaurus'' and ''Sauravus ''Sauravus'' is an extinct genus of nectridean lepospondyl within the family Scincosauridae. Species The ty ...

:::::* Family Urocordylidae :::* Order

Lysorophia Lysorophia is an order of fossorial Carboniferous and Permian tetrapods within the Recumbirostra. Lysorophians resembled small snakes, as their bodies are extremely elongate. There is a single family, the Molgophidae (previously known as Lysoroph ...

:::::* Family

Lysorophidae Lysorophia is an order of fossorial Carboniferous and Permian tetrapods within the Recumbirostra. Lysorophians resembled small snakes, as their bodies are extremely elongate. There is a single family, the Molgophidae (previously known as Lys ...

:::* Order

Microsauria Microsauria ("small lizards") is an extinct, possibly polyphyletic order of tetrapods from the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods. It is the most diverse and species-rich group of lepospondyls. Recently, Microsauria has been considered ...

:::::* Family Microbrachidae :::::* Family Brachyslechidae :::::* Family

Tuditanidae Tuditanidae is an extinct family of tuditanomorph microsaurs. Fossils have been found from Nova Scotia, Ohio, and the Czech Republic and are Late Carboniferous in age. Tuditanids were medium-sized terrestrial microsaurs that resembled lizards. ...

:::::* Family

Hapsidopareiontidae Hapsidopareiontidae is an extinct family of tuditanomorph microsaurs. Hapsidopareiontids are known from the Early Permian of the United States and possibly Germany and the Czech Republic. Hapsidopareiontids are characterized by a large temporal ...

:::::* Family Pantylidae :::::* Family

Gymnarthridae Gymnarthridae is an extinct family of tuditanomorph microsaurs. Gymnarthrids are known from Europe and North America and existed from the Late Carboniferous through the Early Permian. Remains have been found from the Czech Republic, Nova Scotia, ...

:::::* Family Ostodolepididae :::::* Family Rhynchonkidae :::::* Family Cocytinidae ::* Superorder

Reptiliomorpha Reptiliomorpha (meaning reptile-shaped; in PhyloCode known as ''Pan-Amniota'') is a clade containing the amniotes and those tetrapods that share a more recent common ancestor with amniotes than with living amphibians (lissamphibians). It was def ...

:::* Order

Anthracosauria Anthracosauria is an order of extinct reptile-like amphibians (in the broad sense) that flourished during the Carboniferous and early Permian periods, although precisely which species are included depends on one's definition of the taxon. "Anthra ...

:::::* Family

Eogyrinidae Eogyrinidae is an extinct family of large, long-bodied tetrapods that lived in the rivers of the Late Carboniferous period. Gallery image:Eogyrinus BW.jpg, ''Eogyrinus ''Pholiderpeton'' (from el, φολῐ́δος , 'horny scale' and el, � ...

:::::* Family Archeriidae :::::* Family Chroniosuchidae :::::* Family Bystrowianidae :::* Order

Seymouriamorpha Seymouriamorpha were a small but widespread group of limbed vertebrates (tetrapods). They have long been considered reptiliomorphs, and most paleontologists may still accept this point of view, but some analyses suggest that seymouriamorphs are s ...

:::::* Family

Seymouriidae ''Seymouria'' is an extinct genus of seymouriamorph from the Early Permian of North America and Europe. Although they were amphibians (in a biological sense), ''Seymouria'' were well-adapted to life on land, with many reptilian features—so m ...

:::::* Family

Discosauriscidae Discosauriscidae is a family of stegocephalians from the early Permian. They belong to the Seymouriamorpha, but their affinites to extant tetrapods are debated. They have long been considered reptiliomorph Reptiliomorpha (meaning reptile-shape ...

:::::* Family Kotlassiidae :::: Orders/Suborders Uncertain :::::* Family Leptorophidae :::::* Family Enosuchidae :::::* Family Nycleroleridae :::::* Family Tokosauridae :::::* Family Lanthanosuchidae :::::* Family Tseajiidae :::* Order

Diadectomorpha Diadectomorpha is a clade of large tetrapods that lived in Euramerica during the Carboniferous and Early Permian periods and in Asia during Late Permian (Wuchiapingian), They have typically been classified as advanced reptiliomorphs (transitiona ...

:::::* Family Limnoscelididae :::::* Family Diadectidae Series

Amniota Amniotes are a clade of tetrapod vertebrates that comprises sauropsids (including all reptiles and birds, and extinct parareptiles and non-avian dinosaurs) and synapsids (including pelycosaurs and therapsids such as mammals). They are dis ...

* Class

Sauropsida Sauropsida ("lizard faces") is a clade of amniotes, broadly equivalent to the class Reptilia. Sauropsida is the sister taxon to Synapsida, the other clade of amniotes which includes mammals as its only modern representatives. Although early sy ...

:* Subclass

Anapsida An anapsid is an amniote whose skull lacks one or more skull openings (fenestra, or fossae) near the temples. Traditionally, the Anapsida are the most primitive subclass of amniotes, the ancestral stock from which Synapsida and Diapsida evolved ...

:::::* Family

Acleistorhinidae Acleistorhinidae is an extinct family of Late Carboniferous and Early Permian-aged ( Moscovian to Kungurian stage) parareptiles. Acleistorhinids are most diverse from the Richards Spur locality of the Early Permian of Oklahoma. Richards Spur acle ...

:::::* Family

Eunotosauridae ''Eunotosaurus'' (''Latin'': Stout-backed lizard) is an extinct genus of amniote, possibly a close relative of turtles. ''Eunotosaurus'' lived in the late Middle Permian (Capitanian stage) and fossils can be found in the Karoo Supergroup of Sout ...

:::::* Family Mesosauridae :::::* Family

Millerettidae Millerettidae is an extinct family of parareptiles from the Middle Permian to the Late Permian period (Capitanian - Changhsingian stages) of South Africa. The millerettids were small insectivores and probably resembled modern lizards in appearanc ...

:::::* Family

Nyctiphruretidae Nyctiphruretidae is an extinct family of hallucicranian parareptiles known from the late Early to the late Middle Permian of European Russia and south-central United States. Nyctiphruretidae was named by Efremov in 1938. The type genus is '' Ny ...

:::::* Family

Procolophonidae Procolophonidae is an extinct family of small, lizard-like parareptiles known from the Late Permian to Late Triassic that were distributed across Pangaea, having been reported from Europe, North America, China, South Africa, South America, Anta ...

:::::* Family Pareiasauridae :* Basal Eureptilia :::::* Family

Captorhinidae Captorhinidae (also known as cotylosaurs) is an extinct family of tetrapods, traditionally considered primitive reptiles, known from the late Carboniferous to the Late Permian. They had a cosmopolitan distribution across Pangea. Description ...

:::::* Family Protorothyrididae :* Subclass

Diapsida Diapsids ("two arches") are a clade of sauropsids, distinguished from more primitive eureptiles by the presence of two holes, known as temporal fenestrae, in each side of their skulls. The group first appeared about three hundred million years ag ...

:::* Order

Araeoscelidia Araeoscelidia or Araeoscelida is a clade of extinct diapsid reptiles superficially resembling lizards, extending from the Late Carboniferous to the Early Permian. The group contains the genera ''Araeoscelis'', ''Petrolacosaurus'', the possi ...

:::::* Family Araeoscelididae :::: Orders unspecified :::::* Family Weigeltisauridae :::::* Family Claudiosauridae :::::* Family Heleosauridae :::* Order Younginiformes :::::* Family Acerosodontosaurus :::::* Family Younginidae :::::* Family Tangasauridae :::::* Family Galesphyridae ::* Infraclass

Lepidosauromorpha Lepidosauromorpha (in PhyloCode known as ''Pan-Lepidosauria'') is a group of reptiles comprising all diapsids closer to lizards than to archosaurs (which include crocodiles and birds). The only living sub-group is the Lepidosauria, which cont ...

:::::* Family Paliguanidae ::* Infraclass

Archosauromorpha Archosauromorpha (Greek for "ruling lizard forms") is a clade of diapsid reptiles containing all reptiles more closely related to archosaurs (such as crocodilians and dinosaurs, including birds) rather than lepidosaurs (such as tuataras, lizard ...

:::* Order

Prolacertiformes Protorosauria is an extinct polyphyletic group of archosauromorph reptiles from the latest Middle Permian ( Capitanian stage) to the end of the Late Triassic (Rhaetian stage) of Asia, Europe and North America. It was named by the English anatom ...

:::::* Family Protorosauridae :::* Division

Archosaur Archosauria () is a clade of diapsids, with birds and crocodilians as the only living representatives. Archosaurs are broadly classified as reptiles, in the cladistic sense of the term which includes birds. Extinct archosaurs include non-avia ...

ia * Class Synapsida :::* Order

ia :::::* Family

Eothyrididae Eothyrididae is an extinct family of very primitive, insectivorous synapsids. Only three genera are known, '' Eothyris'', '' Vaughnictis'' and '' Oedaleops'', all from the early Permian of North America. Their main distinguishing feature is the la ...

:::::* Family

Caseidae Caseidae are an extinct family of basal synapsids that lived from the Late Carboniferous to Middle Permian between about 300 and 265 million years ago. Fossils of these animals come from the south-central part of the United States (Texas, Okla ...

:::::* Family

Varanopidae Varanopidae is an extinct family of amniotes that resembled monitor lizards and may have filled a similar niche, hence the name. Typically, they are considered synapsids that evolved from an '' Archaeothyris''-like synapsid in the Late Carbonife ...

:::::* Family

Ophiacodontidae Ophiacodontidae is an extinct family of early eupelycosaurs from the Carboniferous and Permian. '' Archaeothyris'', and ''Clepsydrops'' were among the earliest ophiacodontids, appearing in the Late Carboniferous. Ophiacodontids are among the mos ...

:::::* Family Edaphosauridae :::::* Family Sphenacodontidae :::* Order

a :::::* '' Tetraceratops'' ::::* Suborder

Biarmosuchia Biarmosuchians are an extinct clade of non-mammalian synapsids from the Permian. They are the most basal group of the therapsids. All of them were moderately-sized, lightly-built carnivores, intermediate in form between basal sphenacodont " pelyc ...

:::::* Family Phthinosuchidae :::::* Family Biarmosuchidae :::::* Family Ictidorhinidae :::::* Family

Burnetiidae Burnetiidae is an extinct family of biarmosuchian therapsids that lived in the Permian period whose fossils are found in South Africa and Russia. It contains ''Bullacephalus'', ''Burnetia'', '' Mobaceras'', ''Niuksenitia'', ''Paraburnetia'' a ...

:::::* Family Eotitanosuchidae ::::* Suborder

Dinocephalia Dinocephalians (terrible heads) are a clade of large-bodied early therapsids that flourished in the Early and Middle Permian between 279.5 and 260 million years ago (Ma), but became extinct during the Capitanian mass extinction event. Dinocephal ...

:::::* Family

Estemmenosuchidae Estemmenosuchidae is an extinct family of large, very early herbivorous therapsids that flourished during the Guadalupian period. They are distinguished by horn-like structures, probably for display or agonistic behavior. Apart from the best kno ...

:::::* Family

Anteosauridae Anteosauridae is an extinct family of large carnivorous dinocephalian therapsids that are known from the Middle Permian of Asia, Africa, and South America.These animals were by far the largest predators of the Permian period, with skulls reaching ...

:::::* Family

Titanosuchidae Titanosuchidae is an extinct family of dinocephalians. The titanosuchids were carnivorous to omnivorous (herbivorous?) tapinocephalians. As with other tapinocephalians, they had thick skulls probably for head-butting. They had large canine teet ...

:::::* Family

Tapinocephalidae Tapinocephalidae was an advanced family of tapinocephalians. It is defined as the clade containing '' Ulemosaurus'', ''Tapinocaninus'', and the Tapinocephalinae. They are known from both Russia and South Africa. In all probability, the Tapinocep ...

::::* Suborder

Gorgonopsia Gorgonopsia (from the Greek Gorgon, a mythological beast, and 'aspect') is an extinct clade of sabre-toothed therapsids from the Middle to Upper Permian roughly 265 to 252 million years ago. They are characterised by a long and narrow skull, a ...

:::::* Family

Gorgonopsidae Gorgonopsia (from the Greek Gorgon, a mythological beast, and 'aspect') is an extinct clade of sabre-toothed therapsids from the Middle to Upper Permian roughly 265 to 252 million years ago. They are characterised by a long and narrow skull, ...

::::* Suborder

Anomodont Anomodontia is an extinct group of non-mammalian therapsids from the Permian and Triassic periods. By far the most speciose group are the dicynodonts, a clade of beaked, tusked herbivores.Chinsamy-Turan, A. (2011) ''Forerunners of Mammals: Ra ...

ia/

Dicynodont Dicynodontia is an extinct clade of anomodonts, an extinct type of non-mammalian therapsid. Dicynodonts were herbivorous animals with a pair of tusks, hence their name, which means 'two dog tooth'. Members of the group possessed a horny, typic ...

ia :::::* Family Dromasauridae :::::* Family Otsheriidae :::::* Family Galeopidae :::::* Family Venyukoviidae :::::* Family Eodicynodontidae :::::* Family Endothiodontidae :::::* Family Cryptodontidae :::::* Family Aulacephalodontidae :::::* Family Dicynodontidae :::::* Family Pristerodontidae :::::* Family

Emydopidae Emydopidae is a family of dicynodont therapsid Therapsida is a major group of eupelycosaurian synapsids that includes mammals, their ancestors and relatives. Many of the traits today seen as unique to mammals had their origin within early th ...

:::::* Family Robertiidae :::::* Family

Kingoriidae Kingoriidae is an extinct family of dicynodont therapsids. It includes the Late Permian '' Dicynodontoides'' (initially called ''Kingoria'') and the Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from t ...

:::::* Family Pristerognathidae ::::* Suborder

Therocephalia Therocephalia is an extinct suborder of eutheriodont therapsids (mammals and their close relatives) from the Permian and Triassic. The therocephalians ("beast-heads") are named after their large skulls, which, along with the structure of thei ...

:::::* Family Hofmeyeriidae :::::* Family Euchambersiidae :::::* Family

Whaitsiidae Whaitsiidae is an extinct family of therocephalian therapsid Therapsida is a major group of eupelycosaurian synapsids that includes mammals, their ancestors and relatives. Many of the traits today seen as unique to mammals had their origin ...

:::::* Family

Ictidosuchidae Ictidosuchidae is an extinct family of therocephalian therapsid Therapsida is a major group of eupelycosaurian synapsids that includes mammals, their ancestors and relatives. Many of the traits today seen as unique to mammals had their origi ...

:::::* Family Scaloposauridae :::::* Family Lycideopsidae ::::* Suborder

Cynodont The cynodonts () (clade Cynodontia) are a clade of eutheriodont therapsids that first appeared in the Late Permian (approximately 260 mya), and extensively diversified after the Permian–Triassic extinction event. Cynodonts had a wide varie ...

ia :::::* Family Dviniidae :::::* Family

Procynosuchidae Procynosuchidae is an extinct family of therapsids which, along with Dviniidae, were the earliest cynodonts. They appeared around 260 million years ago, and were most abundant during the latest Permian time (251 mya), shortly before the Permia ...

:::::* Family Galesauridae

References

{{reflist * Benton, M. J. (2004), ''Vertebrate Paleontology'', 3rd ed. Blackwell Science Ltd * ----- (editor), (1993) The fossil record II. London: Chapman and Hall. *

Classification

See also

References