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Eryops (AR-ee-ops) meaning "drawn-out face" because most of its skull was in front of its eyes (Greek eryein = drawn-out + ops = face) is a genus of extinct, semi-aquatic amphibian found primarily in the Permian-aged Admiral Formation of Archer County, Texas, but fossils are also found in New Mexico and parts of the eastern United States. Eryops averaged a little over 5 feet (1.5 m) long, making it one of the largest land animals of its time. Several complete skeletons of Eryops have been found in the Lower Permian, but skull plates and teeth are the most common fossils. Although it had no direct descendants, it is the best-known Permian amphibian and a remarkable example of natural engineering. The Permian is a geologic period that extends from about 299. ...
Image File history File links Eryops. ...
A fossil Ammonite Fossils (from Latin fossus, literally having been dug up) are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces (such as footprints) of animals, plants, and other organisms. ...
Skeleton of a Blue Whale In biology, the skeleton or skeletal system is the biological system providing physical support in living organisms. ...
Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ...
Binomial name Aptenodytes forsteri Gray, 1844 For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ...
Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with...
Orders Subclass Labyrinthodontia- extinct Subclass Lepospondyli- extinct Subclass Lissamphibia Anura Caudata Gymnophiona Amphibians (class Amphibia) are a taxon of animals that include all tetrapods (four-legged vertebrates) that do not have amniotic eggs. ...
Groups Edopoidea Euskelia Eryopoidea Dissorophiodea Limnarchia Dvinosauria Stereospondyli Trematosauroidea Capitosauroidea Metoposauroidea Plagiosauroidea Rhytidosteidae Brachyopoidea Temnospondyli are an important and extremely diverse taxon of small to giant labyrinthodont amphibians that flourished worldwide during the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic periods. ...
Families Eryopidae Parioxyidae Zatracheidae Eryopoidea are a taxon of late Carboniferous and Permian temnospondyli amphibians, known from North America and Europe. ...
Genera Eryops Chelyderpeton Clamorosaurus Onchiodon Osteophorus Sclerocephalus Syndyodosuchus Eryopidae are a family of medium to large Permian temnospondyli amphibians, known from North America and Europe, of which the best known form is the large species Eryops megacephalus. ...
In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ...
Edward Drinker Cope Edward Drinker Cope (July 28, 1840–April 12, 1897) was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist. ...
1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
In biology, a genus (plural genera) is a taxonomic grouping. ...
For other uses, see Amphibian (disambiguation). ...
The Permian is a geologic period that extends from about 299. ...
Archer County is a county located in the state of Texas. ...
A fossil Ammonite Fossils (from Latin fossus, literally having been dug up) are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces (such as footprints) of animals, plants, and other organisms. ...
Official language(s) None, English, Spanish popularly believed to be official, but they are not. ...
Skeleton of a Blue Whale In biology, the skeleton or skeletal system is the biological system providing physical support in living organisms. ...
A hippopotamus skull A skull, or cranium, is a bony structure of Craniates which serves as the general framework for a head. ...
Types of teeth Molars are used for grinding up foods Carnassials are used for slicing food. ...
A fossil Ammonite Fossils (from Latin fossus, literally having been dug up) are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces (such as footprints) of animals, plants, and other organisms. ...
Engineering is the application of scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. ...
Eryops is an example of an animal that made successful adaptations in the movement from a water environment to a terrestrial one. It retained, and refined, most of the traits found in its fish ancestors. Sturdy limbs supported and transported its body while out of water. A thicker, stronger backbone prevented its body from sagging under its own weight. Also, by utilizing vestigial fish jaw bones, a rudimentary ear was developed, allowing Eryops to hear airborne sound. A schematic representation of hearing. ...
Anatomy
The skull of Eryops is proportionately large, being broad and flat and reaching lengths of 2 feet. It had an enormous mouth with many sharp teeth in strong jaws. Its teeth had enamel with a folded pattern, hence its classification with the Labyrinthodonts ("maze toothed"). Within the wide, gaping jaw, the fang-like palatal teeth, when coupled with the gape, suggest an inertial feeding habit. This is when the amphibian would grasp its prey and, lacking any chewing mechanism, toss its head up and backwards, throwing the prey farther back into its mouth. Such feeding is seen today in the crocodile and alligator. It is taken that Eryops was not very active, thus a predatory lifestyle, while possible, was probably not the norm. It is more likely that it fed on fish either in the water or on those that became stranded at the margins of lakes and swamps. A large supply of terrestrial invertebrates were also abundant at the time, and this may have provided a fairly adequate food supply in itself. Tooth enamel is the hardest and most mineralized substance of the body , and with dentin and cementum is one of the three major parts of the tooth. ...
A Labyrinthodont (Greek, maze-toothed) is any member of an extinct suborder (Labyrinthodontia) or subclass of amphibians that constituted the dominant animals of Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic times (about 350 to 210 million years ago). ...
Prey can refer to: Look up Prey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A prey animal eaten by a predator in an act called predation. ...
Genera Crocodylus Osteolaemus Tomistoma See full taxonomy. ...
Species Alligator mississippiensis Alligator sinensis An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. ...
ŒœáħÅųÅġĖĞɮʙ[[]] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with predation. ...
Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus: the most abundant species of fish in the world. ...
A freshwater swamp This article is about the wetland type (a landform). ...
Invertebrate is a term coined by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck to describe any animal without a spinal column. ...
Eryops’ eye sockets were large and directed upward. The body was low to the ground and supported by short, massive limbs. The tail was short, suggesting the animal was not a fast or powerful swimmer. The flat skull with the large eyes and nostrils placed on the top of the head are suggestive that Eryops used stealth for hunting, much like a modern crocodile, and sat quietly in the water waiting for prey with only its eyes and nostrils visible above the water.
The pectoral girdle of Eryops was highly developed, with a larger size for both increased muscle attachment to both it and the limbs. Most notably, the shoulder girdle was disconnected from the skull, resulting in improved terrestrial locomotion. The crossopterygian cleithrum was retained as the clavicle, and the interclavicle was well-developed, lying on the underside of the chest. In primitive forms, the two clavicles and the interclavicle could have grown ventrally in such a way as to form a broad chest plate, although such was not the case in Eryops. The upper portion of the girdle had a flat, scapular blade, with the glenoid cavity situated below performing as the articulation surface for the humerus, while ventrally there was a large, flat coracoid plate turning in toward the midline. Location The clavicular head of the pectoralis major takes its origin from the anterior surface of the medial half of the clavicle. ...
A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle is the contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. ...
Left clavicle - from above Left clavicle - from below Collarbone (a bone) redirects here. ...
The pelvic girdle also was much larger than the simple plate found in fishes, accommodating more muscles. It extended far dorsally and was joined to the backbone by one or more specialized sacral ribs. The hind legs were somewhat specialized in that they not only supported weight, but also provided propulsion. The dorsal extension of the pelvis was the ilium, while the broad ventral plate was comprised of the pubis in front and the ischium behind. The three bones met at a single point in the center of the pelvic triangle, called the acetabulum, providing a surface of articulation for the femur. Human male pelvis, viewed from front Human female pelvis, viewed from front The pelvis is the bony structure located at the base of the spine (properly known as the caudal end). ...
The human rib cage. ...
A man and a woman in the Pioneer plaque. ...
If you were looking for an organization, see FEMA. The femur or thigh bone is the longest, most voluminous and strongest bone of the human body. ...
The main strength of the ilio-sacral attachment of Eryops was by ligaments, a condition structurally, but not phylogenetically, intermediate between that of the most primitive embolomerous amphibians and early reptiles. The condition that is more usually found in later vertebrates is that cartilage and fusion of the sacral ribs to the blade of the ilium are utilized in addition to ligamentous attachments. A ligament is a short band of tough fibrous connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen fibres. ...
Vertebrata is a subphylum of chordates, specifically, those with backbones or spinal columns. ...
Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. ...
Respiration Modern amphibians breathe by inhaling air into lungs, where oxygen is absorbed. They also breathe through the moist lining of the mouth and skin. So too did Eryops, but its ribs were too closely spaced to suggest that it simply expanded the rib cage. More likely, it depressed the hyoid apparatus to expand the oral cavity and elevated the floor of the mouth while it and the nostrils were closed. This forced air back into the lungs. Air could then be forced back out by contraction of the elastic tissue in the lung walls. It has been suggested that Gas exchange be merged into this article or section. ...
The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ...
General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ...
The hyoid bone (Os Hyoideum; Lingual Bone) is a bone in the human neck, not articulated to any other bone; it is supported by the muscles of the neck and in turn supports the root of the tongue. ...
Locomotion Eryops had typical amphibian posture exhibited by the upper arm and upper leg extending nearly straight out from its body, while the forearm and the lower leg extended downward from the upper segment at a near right angle. The body weight was not centered over the limbs, but was rather transferred 90 degrees outward and down through the lower limbs, which contacted the ground. Most of the animal's strength was used to just elevate its body off the ground for walking, which was probably slow and difficult. With this sort of posture, only short, broad strides could be achieved. This has been confirmed by fossilized footprints found in Carboniferous rocks. This article is about angles in geometry. ...
The Carboniferous is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Devonian period, about 359. ...
Ligamentous attachments within the limbs were present in Eryops, being important because they were the precursor to bony and cartilagenous variations seen in modern terrestrial animals that use their limbs for locomotion.
The primary species of Eryops has been named Eryops megacephalus (“big head”).
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