Eryops | |
---|---|
Skeleton of Eryops megacephalus at the American Museum of Natural History | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Order: | †Temnospondyli |
Family: | †Eryopidae |
Genus: | †Eryops Cope, 1877 |
Species: | †E. megacephalus
|
Binomial name | |
†Eryops megacephalus Cope, 1877
|
Eryops (/ˈɛri.ɒps/; from Greek ἐρύειν, eryein, 'drawn-out' + ὤψ, ops, '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 (about 295 million years ago) 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.