Eryops megacephalus Fossil Skeleton Replica

Description

Eryops megacephalus fossil skeleton replica measures 5.5 feet or 1.68m. The eryops megacephalus fossil skeleton is museum-quality polyurethane resin cast. Made in USA. Complete skeleton is mounted and requires crating. Please call 509-951-3557 for shipping.

Eryops megacephalus meaning long eye or drawn-out eye in Greek was a common, early labyrinthodontid amphibian that lived in

Permian period swamps. This meat-eater had a stout body with very wide ribs, a strong spine, four short, strong legs, a short tail, and a wide, elongated skull with many sharp teeth. Its teeth had enamel with a folded pattern.

Eryops megacephalus was about 5 feet long, one of the largest land animals of its time. Eryops megacephalus was a fierce predator on land and in the water. This specimen is from the Wichita Basin, Texas. Lower Permian, (270 million years ago).

The skeleton of Eryops megacephalus was much more strongly built and sturdy than related temnospondyls. The limbs were especially large and strong. The pectoral girdle was highly developed, with a larger size for increased muscle attachments.

Most notably, the shoulder girdle was disconnected from the skull, resulting in improved terrestrial locomotion. The upper portion of the girdle had a flat scapular blade, with the glenoid cavity situated below performing as the articulation surface for the humerus, while ventrally there was a large flat coracoid plate turning in toward the mid-line.

The pelvic girdle also was much larger than the simple plate found in fishes, accommodating more muscles. Eryops megacephalus extended far dorsally and was joined to the backbone by one or more specialized sacral ribs.

The hind legs were somewhat specialized in that they not only supported weight, but also provided propulsion. The dorsal extension of the pelvis was the ilium, while the broad ventral plate was composed of the pubis in front and the ischium behind.

Scientific classification:

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Order: †Temnospondyli
• Family: †Eryopidae
• Genus: †Eryops
• Species: †E. megacephalus
• Binomial name: †Eryops megacephalus
• Conservation Status: Extinct

The sensory sulci found on these replicas represent a critical water-motion detection system. While eryops was largely terrestrial, its skull still retains these grooves, which are mirrored in the much more elongated and specialized skull of the aquatic Aphaneramma.

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