Seymouriamorpha

Seymouriamorpha were a small but widespread group of limbed vertebrates (tetrapods). They have long been considered stem-amniotes (reptiliomorphs), and most paleontologists still accept this point of view, but some analyses suggest that seymouriamorphs are stem-tetrapods (not more closely related to Amniota than to Lissamphibia).

Many seymouriamorphs were terrestrial or semi-aquatic. However, aquatic larvae bearing external gills and grooves from the lateral line system have been found, making them unquestionably non-amniotes. As they matured, they became more terrestrial and reptile-like. They ranged from 30 cm (1 ft) long lizard-sized creatures to the 1.5 m (5 ft) long Enosuchus. If seymouriamorphs are reptiliomorphs, they were the distant relatives of amniotes.

Seymouriamorphs are divided into three main groups: Kotlassiidae, Discosauriscidae, and Seymouriidae, which includes the best-known genus, Seymouria. The last seymouriamorphs became extinct by the end of the Permian.

They have been considered to be the makers of the trace fossils placed in the ichnogenus Amphisauropus.

Taxonomy

• Biarmica
• Enosuchus
• Kotlassia
• Leptoropha
• Microphon
• Nyctiboetus
• Utegenia
• Waggoneria
• Family Karpinskiosauridae Karpinskiosaurus
• Family Discosauriscidae Ariekanerpeton Discosauriscus Makowskia Spinarerpeton
• Family Seymouriidae Seymouria

Cladogram based on Ruta, Jeffery, & Coates (2003):

Cladogram based on Klembara (2009) & Klembara (2010):

Gallery

• Kotlassia
• Karpinskiosaurus

External links

• - at Paleos
• at Tree of Life Web Project