Eryops megacephalus

Eryops meaning "drawn-out face" because most of its skull was in front of its eyes is a genus of extinct, amphibious temnospondyls. It contains the single species Eryops megacephalus, the fossils of which are found mainly in early Permian rocks of the Texas Red Beds, located in Archer County, Texas. Fossils have also been found in late Carboniferous period rocks from New Mexico. Several complete skeletons of Eryops have been found in lower Permian rocks, but skull bones and teeth are its most common fossils.
 * Eryops averaged a little over 1.5–2.0 metres long and could grow up to 3 metres, making them among the largest land animals of their time. Adults weighed about 90 kilograms. The skull was proportionately large, being broad and flat and reaching lengths of 60 centimetres. It had an enormous mouth with many curved teeth like the frog. Its teeth had enamel with a folded pattern, leading to its early classification as a "labyrinthodont". The shape and cross section of Eryops teeth made them ...


 * Eryops is currently thought to contain only one species, E. megacephalus, which means "large-headed Eryops". E. megacephalus fossils have been found only in rocks dated to the early Permian period in the southwestern United States, primarily in the Admiral Formation of the Texas Red Beds. During the mid-20th century, some older fossils were classified as a second species of Eryops, E. avinoffi. This species, known from Carboniferous period fossil found in Pennsylvania, had originally been classified.
 * Eryops were among the most formidable early Permian carnivores and perhaps the only ones capable of competing with the dominant synapsids of the time, though because they were semi-aquatic, if not mostly aquatic, as suggested by long bone microanatomy, they probably did not come into frequent competition with synapsids. Eryops lived in lowland habitats in and around ponds, streams, and rivers, and the arrangement and shape of their teeth suggests that they probably ate mostly large fish.