Dissorophoidea

Dissorophoidea Temporal range: Late Carboniferous - Early Triassic, 310–249 Ma Possible descendant taxon Lissamphibia survives to present. PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Life restoration of Zygosaurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	†Temnospondyli
Suborder:	†Euskelia
Superfamily:	†Dissorophoidea Bolt, 1969
Families
†Amphibamidae †Micromelerpetontidae †Olsoniformes

Dissorophoideans are a clade of medium-sized, temnospondyl amphibians that appeared during the Late Pennsylvanian in Euramerica, and continued through to the Late Permian and even possibly the Early Triassic of Gondwana (if Micropholis belongs here). They are distinguished by various details of the skull,^[1] and many forms seem to have been well adapted for life on land.

It has been suggested that they may be ancestral to the Frogs (Reisz, no date) or even the Lissamphibia as a whole, in which case the latter would be included in this clade.

It is possible that the small Permo-Carboniferous Micromelerpetontidae and the large Late Permian Melosauridae may also belong in this clade.

References and Reliable Link References

• Huttenlocker, Adam. 2007. Dissorophoidea Tree of Life Web Project
• Laurin, M. and Steyer, J-S, 2000, Phylogeny and Apomorphies of Temnospondyls Tree of Life Web Project (reviewed)
• Reisz, Robert, (no date), Biology 356 - Major Features of Vertebrate Evolution - The Origin of Tetrapods and Temnospondyls

External links

• Dissorophoidea - Palaeos
• Dissorophoidea - Mikko's Phylogeny Archive

References

1. ^ (see Laurin & Steyer, 2000, for list of apomorphies)