What is Eryops?
Eryops was a temnospondyl (large and very ancient amphibian) averaging 1.5-2.0 m (5-6 ft) in length whose name means “drawn out face.” It lived during the Permian period, about 295 million years ago, and most fossils are found in the Admiral Formation of Archer County, Texas. Eryops is thought to have been one of the largest land animals of its time, as land animals themselves had only evolved from fish about 40 million years prior. One of the only larger animals living at the time was the cow-sized, sailbacked Dimetrodon, which probably hunted Eryops. Eryops lived at least 70 million years before the dinosaurs. Eryops is the most famous Paleozoic amphibian and an interesting example of natural engineering. Having evolved from lobe-finned fish, Eryops retained many fish-like characteristics but adapted them for land life. Like some fish, Eryops had a gaping maw and a large head relative to its body. The head as much as two feet long, pretty impressive for an animal that is only about 5
