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Anthracosauria Temporal range: Mississippian to Late Triassic 330–230 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
The skeleton of Seymouria baylorensis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Sarcopterygii
Clade:	Tetrapodomorpha
Clade:	Stegocephali
Order:	Anthracosauria Säve-Söderbergh, 1934
Subgroups
Eoherpeton? Embolomeri? Silvanerpeton? Eldeceeon? Chroniosuchia? Gephyrostegidae? Seymouriamorpha? Solenodonsaurus? Diadectomorpha? Casineria?

Anthracosauria is an order of extinct reptile-like amphibians (in the broad sense) that flourished during the Carboniferous and early Permian periods, although precisely which species are included depends on one's definition of the taxon. "Anthracosauria" is sometimes used to refer to all tetrapods more closely related to amniotes such as reptiles, mammals, and birds, than to lissamphibians such as frogs and salamanders. An equivalent term to this definition would be Reptiliomorpha. Anthracosauria has also been used to refer to a smaller group of large, crocodilian-like aquatic tetrapods also known as embolomeres.

Various definitions

As originally defined by Säve-Söderbergh in 1934, the anthracosaurs are a group of usually large aquatic Amphibia from the Carboniferous and lower Permian. As defined by Alfred Sherwood Romer however, the anthracosaurs include all non-amniote "labyrinthodont" reptile-like amphibians, and Säve-Söderbergh's definition is more equivalent to Romer's suborder Embolomeri. This definition was also used by Edwin H. Colbert and Robert L. Carroll in their textbooks of Vertebrate Palaeontology (Colbert 1969, Carroll 1988). Dr A. L. Panchen however preferred Säve-Söderbergh's original definition of Antracosauria in his Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie, 1970.

With cladistics things have changed again. Gauthier, Kluge and Rowe (1988) defined Anthracosauria as a clade including "Amniota plus all other tetrapods that are more closely related to amniotes than they are to amphibians" (Amphibia in turn was defined by these authors as a clade including Lissamphibia and those tetrapods that are more closely related to lissamphibians than they are to amniotes). Similarly, Michel Laurin (1996) uses the term in a cladistic sense to refer to only the most advanced reptile-like amphibians. Thus his definition includes Diadectomorpha, Solenodonsauridae and the amniotes. As Ruta, Coates and Quicke (2003) pointed out, this definition is problematic, because, depending on the exact phylogenetic position of Lissamphibia within Tetrapoda, using it might lead to the situation where some taxa traditionally classified as anthracosaurs, including even the genus Anthracosaurus itself, wouldn't belong to Anthracosauria. Laurin (2001) created a different phylogenetic definition of Anthracosauria, defining it as "the largest clade that includes Anthracosaurus russelli but not Ascaphus truei". However, Michael Benton (2000, 2004) makes the anthracosaurs a paraphyletic order within the superorder Reptiliomorpha, along with the orders Seymouriamorpha and Diadectomorpha, thus making the Anthracosaurians the "lower" reptile-like amphibians. In his definition, the group encompass the Embolomeri, Chroniosuchia and possibly the family Gephyrostegidae.

Many studies since have suggested that anthracosaurs or embolomeres are likely reptiliomorphs closer to amniotes, but some recent studies either retain them as amphibians or argue that their relationships are still ambiguous and are more likely to be stem-tetrapods.

Etymology

The name "Anthracosauria" is Greek ('coal lizards'), because many of its fossils were found in the Coal Measures.

References and external links

• Benton, M. J. (2004), Vertebrate Palaeontology, Blackwell Science Ltd 3rd ed. - see also taxonomic hierarchy of the vertebrates, according to Benton 2004
• Carroll, R. L., 1988: Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W. H. Freeman and company, New York
• Clack, J. A. (2002), Gaining Ground: the Origin and Evolution of Tetrapods Indiana Univ. Press, 369 pp.
• Colbert, E. H. (1969), Evolution of the Vertebrates, John Wiley & Sons Inc (2nd ed.)
• Gauthier, J. A.; Kluge, A. G.; Rowe, T. (1988). "The early evolution of the Amniota". In M. J. Benton (ed.). The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods, Volume 1: Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds. Systematics Association Special Volume. Vol. 35A. Clarendon Press. pp. 103–155.
• Laurin, Michel (1996) Terrestrial Vertebrates - Stegocephalians: Tetrapods and other digit-bearing vertebrates
• Michel Laurin (2001). "L'utilisation de la taxonomie phylogénétique en paléontologie: avantages et inconvénients". Biosystema. 19: 197–211.
• Palaeos Anthracosauroidea
• Panchen, A. L. (1970) Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie - Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology Part 5a - Batrachosauria (Anthracosauria), Gustav Fischer Verlag - Stuttgart & Portland, 83 pp., ISBN 3-89937-021-X web page Archived 2007-12-14 at the Wayback Machine
• Marcello Ruta, Michael I. Coates and Donald L. J. Quicke (2003). "Early tetrapod relationships revisited" (PDF). Biological Reviews. 78 (2): 251–345. doi:10.1017/S1464793102006103. PMID 12803423. S2CID 31298396.
• Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification Order Anthracosauria

Citations

1. Hodnett, John-Paul M.; Lucas, Spencer G. (2018). "A nonmarine Late Pennsylvanian vertebrate assemblage in a marine bromalite from the Manzanita Mountains, Bernalillo County, New Mexico". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 79: 251–260.
2. Adams, Gabrielle R. (2020). "3. A phylogenetic analysis of NSM 994GF1.1 to determine the placement of embolomeres in the tetrapod tree". Description of Calligenethlon watsoni based on computed tomography and resulting implications for the phylogenetic placement of embolomeres (MSc thesis). Carleton University.
3. Pardo, J. D. (2023). "New information on the neurocranium of Archeria crassidisca and the relationships of the Embolomeri". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad156.

v t e Tetrapodomorpha (Pan-Tetrapoda)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Osteichthyes Clade: Sarcopterygii Clade: Rhipidistia Gnathostomata see Gnathostomata Tetrapodomorpha see below↓
Tetrapodomorpha Tetrapodomorpha †Bogdanovia †Chrysolepis †Geptolepis †Glyptopomus †Gogonasus †Greiserolepis †Gyroptychius †Harajicadectes †Kenichthys †Litoptychus †Lamprotolepis †Latvius †Medoevia †Megadonichthys †Muranjilepis †Osteolepis †Peregrina †Platyethmoidia †Shirolepis †Thaumatolepis †Thursius †Tungsenia †Viluichthys †Rhizodontida Archichthys Aztecia Barameda Gooloogongia Hongyu Letognathus Propycnoctenion Pycnoctenion Rhizodus Rossichthys Sauripterus Screbinodus Strepsodus Thysanolepis? Vorobjevaia? †Canowindridae Beelarongia Canowindra Koharalepis Marsdenichthys? Owensia? †Megalichthyidae Askerichthys Cladarosymblema Cryptolepis? Ectosteorhachis Lohsania? Mahalalepis Megalichthys Megapomus? Megistolepis? Palatinichthys Rhizodopsis Sengoerichthys Sterropterygion? Eotetrapodiformes †Palaeospondylus? †Tristichopteridae Bruehnopteron Cabonnichthys Callistipterus Canningius Devonosteus Edenopteron Eusthenodon Eusthenopteron Heddleichthys Hyneria Jarvikina Langlieria Litoptychus? Mandageria Marsdenichthys? Notorhizodon Platycephalichthys Spodichthys Tinirau Tristichopterus Elpistostegalia †Howittichthys? †Livoniana †Panderichthys †Parapanderichthys †Qikiqtania †Rubrognathus †Tiktaalik Stegocephali (Tetrapoda sensu lato) see below↓
Stegocephali (Tetrapoda sensu lato) Devonian taxa †Acanthostega †Brittagnathus †Densignathus †Elpistostege? †Hynerpeton †Ichthyostega †Jakubsonia †Metaxygnathus †Parmastega †Sinostega †Tiktaalik? †Tulerpeton †Tutusius †Umzantsia †Ventastega †Ymeria †Elginerpetontidae Elginerpeton Obruchevichthys Webererpeton Post-Devonian taxa †Antlerpeton †Aytonerpeton †Crassigyrinus †Diploradus †Doragnathus †Gaiasia †Ichthyerpeton †Koilops †Mesanerpeton †Occidens †Ossirarus †Perittodus †Sigournea †Tantallognathus †Aistopoda Andersonerpeton Lethiscus Ophiderpeton Oestocephalidae Coloraderpeton Oestocephalus Phlegethontioidea Pseudophlegethontia Phlegethontiidae Phlegethontia Sillerpeton †Whatcheeriidae Ossinodus? Pederpes Whatcheeria †Colosteidae Colosteus Deltaherpeton Greererpeton Pholidogaster †Adelospondyli Acherontiscus Adelogyrinidae Adelogyrinus Adelospondylus Dolichopareias Palaeomolgophis †"Nectridea" see Nectridea †Baphetoidea Eucritta? Spathicephalus Baphetidae Baphetes Kyrinion Loxomma Megalocephalus †Embolomeri Anthracosaurus Archeria Aversor Calligenethlon Carbonoherpeton "Cricotus" Diplovertebron Eobaphetes Eoherpeton? Leptophractus Neopteroplax Palaeoherpeton Papposaurus Pholiderpeton Proterogyrinus Pteroplax Seroherpeton Spondylerpeton †Gephyrostegidae Bruktererpeton Eusauropleura Gephyrostegus †Other "anthracosaurs" Caerorhachis Casineria? Eldeceeon Eoherpeton Silvanerpeton Termonerpeton Crown group Tetrapoda Temnospondyli (Batrachomorpha see Temnospondyli includes Lissamphibia Reptiliomorpha (Pan-Amniota) see Reptiliomorpha includes Amniota
Related topics Paraphyletic / Polyphyletic groups Stem tetrapoda Osteolepiformes Osteolepididae Megalichthyiformes? Tristichopteridae? Labyrinthodontia Rachitomi Ichthyostegalia Lepospondyli Holospondyli Phyllospondyli Anthracosauria Other topics Evolution of tetrapods Polydactyly in stem-tetrapods Romer's gap Timeline Zachelmie trackways
Category

v t e Reptiliomorpha (Pan‑Amniota)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Osteichthyes Clade: Sarcopterygii Clade: Tetrapoda Tetrapodomorpha see Tetrapodomorpha Reptiliomorpha see below↓ Reptiliomorpha / Pan-Amniota
Reptiliomorpha †Caerorhachis? †Casineria? †Eldeceeon? †Romeriscus †Silvanerpeton? †Solenodonsaurus? †Termonerpeton? †Westlothiana? †Embolomeri? †Gephyrostegidae? †Chroniosuchia? Laosuchus Bystrowianidae Axitectum Bystrowiana Bystrowiella Dromotectum Hassiacoscutum Jiyuanitectum Synesuchus Yumenerpeton Chroniosuchidae Chroniosaurus Chroniosuchus Ingentidens Jarilinus Madygenerpeton Phratochronis Suchonica Uralerpeton †Seymouriamorpha? Ariekanerpeton Biarmica Discosauriscus Enosuchus? Karpinskiosaurus Kotlassia Leptoropha Makowskia Microphon Nyctiboetus Seymouria Spinarerpeton Utegenia Volgerpeton Waggoneria "Microsauria"? see Microsauria possibly includes Lissamphibia Amniota †Diadectomorpha? Limnoscelis? Tseajaia Diadectidae Alveusdectes Ambedus Desmatodon Diadectes Diasparactus Kuwavaatakdectes Orobates Phanerosaurus Stephanospondylus †"Protorothyrididae" Anthracodromeus Brouffia Cephalerpeton Coelostegus Hylonomus Paleothyris Protorothyris Thuringothyris †Araeoscelidia Aphelosaurus Araeoscelis Dictybolos? Halgaitosaurus Kadaliosaurus Petrolacosaurus Spinoaequalis? Zarcasaurus †Captorhinidae Acrodenta Baeotherates Captorhinoides Captorhinus Euconcordia? Labidosauriscus Labidosaurus Opisthodontosaurus? Protocaptorhinus Puercosaurus? Reiszorhinus Rhiodenticulatus Rhodotheratus Riabininus? Romeria Saurorictus Moradisaurinae Balearosaurus Captorhinikos Gansurhinus Gecatogomphius Indosauriscus Kahneria Labidosaurikos Moradisaurus Rothianiscus Sumidadectes Tramuntanasaurus Amniota (crown group) Synapsida (Pan‑Mammalia) see Synapsida includes mammals Sauropsida (Pan‑Reptilia) see Sauropsida includes reptiles and birds
See also: Labyrinthodontia Lepospondyli Anthracosauria Batrachosauria Cotylosauria Eureptilia

• Stegocephalians
• Reptiliomorphs
• Mississippian first appearances
• Carnian extinctions
• Paraphyletic groups
• Tetrapodomorph orders