An order of extremely elongate, limbless fossil amphibians in the subclass Lepospondyli from Permo-Carboniferous rocks of North America and Europe. The order Aistopoda (also spelled Aïstopoda) consists of extremely elongate, limbless fossil amphibians. Commonly called aistopods, these extinct amphibians belong to the subclass Lepospondyli and have been found in Permo-Carboniferous rocks of North America (in particular, Ohio and Illinois in the United States) and Europe (including the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic). The order includes five families: Lethiscidae (Lethiscus), Ophiderpetontidae (Ophiderpeton; see illustration), Oestocephalidae (Oestocephalus and Coloraderpeton), Phlegethontiidae (Phlegethontia and Sillerpeton), and Pseudophlegethontiidae (Pseudophlegethontia). The genera are usually monotypic, with the exception of Ophiderpeton (six species), Oestocephalus (two species), and Phlegethontia (two species). In seeming contrast to their derived state, aistopods are among the very oldest of all known fossil tetrapods. See also: Amphibia; Extinction (biology); Fossil; Lepospondyli; Tetrapoda
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Amphibia
One of the major classes composing the superclass Tetrapoda of the subphylum Vertebrata, and including frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians. Amphibians, that is, members of the class Amphibia, are tetrapod vertebrates. Modern amphibians number more than 8000 species and are assigned to the subclass Lissamphibia. They are further subdivided into three main groups: Anura or Salientia (frogs and toads, which comprise almost 90% of all amphibians); Urodela or Caudata (salamanders, including newts; Fig. 1); and Apoda or Gymnophiona (caecilians). Fossil amphibian forms have been assigned to various extinct groupings (for example, Temnospondyli) that vary according to different classification schemes. See also: Anura; Apoda; Lissamphibia; Origins of modern amphibians; Temnospondyli; Tetrapoda; Urodela; Vertebrata
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Anthracosauria
An order of Paleozoic tetrapods that arose Carboniferous (Mississippian) (345 million years ago) and lasted until the Early Triassic (about 245 MYA). The term anthracosaurs (meaning “coal reptiles”) encompasses a range of genera that may not all be close relatives; rather, they form a stem group (members of the lineage leading to amniotes, but not amniotes themselves) possibly related to amniotes (reptiles, birds, and mammals). They share a number of features, such as the pattern of skull roof bones and vertebral construction, that distinguish them from temnospondyls, a larger group of Paleozoic tetrapods that are more closely related to modern amphibians. Anthracosaurs also share a number of features that may be primitive for tetrapods, including a “skull table” unit that is only loosely attached to the cheek, and a palate in which bones almost meet along the midline.
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Apoda
The smallest order of the class Amphibia, consisting of the wormlike caecilians. The order Apoda is sometimes called Gymnophiona. Its members are known commonly as caecilians, which are wormlike, legless amphibians with indistinct or even hidden eyes. A series of annular grooves (annuli) are usually present along the length of the body, heightening the resemblance to an earthworm (see illustration). Most caecilians lead a burrowing existence, although members of one genus, Typhlonectes, are aquatic. Some species have the eyes hidden beneath the bones of the skull and probably are blind, but others at least are able to distinguish movement. A unique feature of some caecilians among modern amphibians is the presence of scales buried in the skin. See also: Amphibia; Burrowing animals; Lissamphibia; Scale (zoology)
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Nectridea
An extinct amphibian order of small, mostly aquatic tetrapods found in Carboniferous and Permian rocks in North America, Europe, and North Africa. Nectrideans are usually grouped together with microsaurs and aistopods as lepospondyls; all three have a characteristic one-piece vertebral centrum. See also: Aistopoda; Amphibia; Carboniferous; Lepospondyli; Microsauria; Permian