We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Biology

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Lissamphibia?

Michael Anissimov
By
Updated: May 21, 2024
Views: 7,875
Share

Lissamphibia is the only surviving subclass of amphibians -- the other two, Lepospondyli (lepospondyls) and Labyrinthodontia (labyrinthodonts) having gone extinct in the Permian (290 million years ago) and the Cretaceous (120 mya) respectively. Labyrinthodonts were already going downhill by the Permian-Triassic extinction event (251 mya) and especially by the Late Triassic (210 mya), around the same time that dinosaurs became dominant. Lissamphibia consists of three orders: frogs/toads, salamanders, and the limbless caecilans.

The earliest known members of subclass Amphibia are basal temnospondyls dated to 340 million years ago, in the Early Carboniferous. These fish-like tetrapods had sprawling stances that put them close to the ground and were relatively large, 3-5 ft in length, like the lobe-finned fish they evolved from. They expended so much energy on walking that they would have been frequently exhausted and in need of rest. Thankfully for them, since carnivorous tetrapods had not yet evolved, they could rest in peace -- for a while.

The first known member of Lissamphibia, "Hotton's Ancient Frog," also known as a "frogamander," is dated to the Early Permian, 290 million years ago. As its name indicates, it has a combination of salamander and frog-like characteristics. However, even though this is known, scientists are relatively confused about the details of origin and the relationship between groups in Lissamphibia.

Every possible ancestry has been proposed -- that Lissamphibia is a clade within temnospondyls (an abundant type of labyrinthodont), a clade within lepospondyls, or that caecilans originate within lepospondyls and frogs and salamanders originate within temnospondyls. Due to the large number of shared characteristics between all members of Lissamphibia, most scientists acknowledge they are a natural clade, making the last possibility the least likely. Some scientists tend to assume that Lissamphibia evolved from temnospondyls, because they were more diverse and numerous during the time in question (the Carboniferous) than leposondyls. However, lepospondyls were considerably smaller, so it could make sense that a clade of small amphibians would evolve from another group of small amphibians, rather than from a group that is significantly larger on average.

Because of a period in the fossil record where few tetrapod fossils have been found, known as "Romer's Gap" (360-340 mya), tetrapod origins are somewhat mysterious. Recently, however, new fossil sites have been found with specimens from this elusive period. We have a lot of things to learn about this hazy period of ancient evolutionary history.

Share
All The Science is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Michael Anissimov
By Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov is a dedicated All The Science contributor and brings his expertise in paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism to his articles. An avid blogger, Michael is deeply passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. His professional experience includes work with the Methuselah Foundation, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and Lifeboat Foundation, further showcasing his commitment to scientific advancement.

Related Articles

Discussion Comments
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov is a dedicated All The Science contributor and brings his expertise in paleontology, physics, biology...
Learn more
Share
https://www.allthescience.org/what-is-lissamphibia.htm
Copy this link
All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.