| Tseajaia Temporal range: Permian |
|
|---|---|
| Tseajaia life reconstruction | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| (unranked): | Reptiliomorpha |
| Suborder: | †Diadectomorpha |
| Family: | †Tseajaiidae |
| Genus: | †Tseajaia Vaughn, 1964 |
Tseajaia is an extinct genus of tetrapod. It was an anthracosaurian that lived in the Permian of North America.[1] The skeleton is that of a medium sized, rather advanced reptile-like amphibian. In life it was about a meter (3 ft.) long and may have looked vaguely like an iguana, though slower and and with a more amphibian foot without claws. The dentition was somewhat blunt, indicating herbivory or possibly omnivory.
Tseajaia was described from a single, fairly complete specimen and was given its own family by Robert L. Carroll. It was originally thought to be an seymouriamaorph.[2] Additional finds allowing for a better taxonomic analysis indicate they belong in the Diadectomorpha, as the sister group to the large and more derived Diadectidae. Tseajaia itself being a fairly generalized form, gives a reasonable indication of the build and looks of the closest relatives of the amniotes.[3][4]