Seymouriamorpha

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Seymouriamorpha
Fossil range: Early Permian - Late Permian

Seymouria baylorensis from the Early Permian of North America

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Superclass:	Tetrapoda
Superorder:	Reptiliomorpha
Order:	Seymouriamorpha Watson, 1917

Clades & Species

See "Taxonomy"

Seymouriamorpha are a small but widespread group of reptiliomorphs. Many seymouriamorphs were terrestrial or semi-aquatic. However, small aquatic larvae bearing external gills were found. The adults were terrestrial. They ranged from lizard-sized creatures (12 inches) to crocodile-sized 1.5 meters animals. They were reptile-like. Because seymouriamorphs are reptiliomorphs, they were the distant relatives of amniotes, or the relatives of the amniotes's ancestor. Seymouriamorphs form into three main groups, Kotlassiidae, Discosauriscidae, and Seymouriidae, a group that includes the best known genus, Seymouria. The last seymouriamorph became extinct by the end of Permian.

Discosauriscus, from the Early Permian of Europe

[edit] Taxonomy

Superorder Reptiliomorpha
Order Seymouriamorpha
- Urumqia
- Utegenia
- Family Kotlassiidae
  - Buzulukia
  - Bystrowiana
  - Karpinskiosaurus
  - Kotlassia
- Family Discosauriscidae
  - Makowskia
  - Discosauriscus
- Ariekanerpeton
- Family Seymouriidae
  - Gnorhinosuchus
  - Nyctiboetus
  - Rhinosauriscus
  - Seymouria