Limnoscelidae
Encyclopedia
Limnoscelidae is a family
of carnivorous Diadectomorpha
ns. They would have been the largest terrestrial carnivores of their day, the other large carnivores being aquatic or semi aquatic labyrinthodont
amphibians. The Limnoscelidae themselves, being close to the ancestry of amniote
s, would have been well adapted land animals, but still dependent on anamniote eggs, and possibly having a tadople stage. Contrary to the more advanced herbivorious Diadectidae
, the teeth retained labyrinthodont infolding of the enamel, and were pointed and slightly recurved at the tip.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of carnivorous Diadectomorpha
Diadectomorpha
Diadectomorpha are a clade of large reptile-like amphibians that lived in Euramerica during the Carboniferous and Early Permian periods, and are very close to the ancestry of the Amniota. They include both large carnivorous and even larger herbivorous forms, some semi-aquatic and others fully...
ns. They would have been the largest terrestrial carnivores of their day, the other large carnivores being aquatic or semi aquatic labyrinthodont
Labyrinthodontia
Labyrinthodontia is an older term for any member of the extinct subclass of amphibians, which constituted some of the dominant animals of Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic times . The group is ancestral to all extant landliving vertebrates, and as such constitutes an evolutionary grade rather...
amphibians. The Limnoscelidae themselves, being close to the ancestry of amniote
Amniote
The amniotes are a group of tetrapods that have a terrestrially adapted egg. They include synapsids and sauropsids , as well as their fossil ancestors. Amniote embryos, whether laid as eggs or carried by the female, are protected and aided by several extensive membranes...
s, would have been well adapted land animals, but still dependent on anamniote eggs, and possibly having a tadople stage. Contrary to the more advanced herbivorious Diadectidae
Diadectidae
Diadectidae is an extinct family of large diadectomorph reptiliomorphs. Diadectids lived in North America and Europe during the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian. They were the first herbivorous tetrapods, and also the first fully terrestrial animals to attain large sizes. Footprints indicate...
, the teeth retained labyrinthodont infolding of the enamel, and were pointed and slightly recurved at the tip.
Taxonomy
Three species assigned to two genera make up the known members of the family.- LimnoscelisLimnoscelisLimnoscelis is a genus of large, very reptile-like diadectomorph from the Early Permian of North America. Contrary to other diadectomorphans, Limnoscelis appear to have been a carnivore...
(two species) is the nominal genus for which the family was erected. Both species were quite large animals, on the order of a 1,5 meters as aduts. - Limnostygis (one species) is known from a single partial skeleton was assigned to the family by Robert L. CarrollRobert L. CarrollRobert Lynn Carroll is a vertebrate paleontologist who specialises in Paleozoic and Mesozoic amphibians and reptiles.Carroll was an only child and grew up on a farm near Lansing, Michigan...
It was markedly smaller than its cousins, about 40 cm in adult length.