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lepospondyl

fossil amphibian
Also known as: Lepospondyli

Quick Summary

Lepospondyls were a diverse group of extinct, often small, amphibian-like vertebrates that lived during the Carboniferous and Permian periods. They are characterized by their vertebrae, which developed directly as bone without an intermediate cartilage stage. This group included a variety of forms, such as snakelike creatures and those with "horns". While often classified with amphibians, some recent classifications place them separately. Lepospondyls became extinct by the end of the Pennsylvanian subperiod.12

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