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The word amphibian is derived from the Ancient Greek term ἀμφίβιος (amphíbios), which means 'both kinds of life', ἀμφί meaning 'of both kinds' and βίος meaning 'life'. The term was initially used as a general adjective for animals that could live on land or in water, including seals and otters. [8]
Amphibamus is a genus of amphibamid temnospondyl amphibians from the Carboniferous (middle Pennsylvanian) of North America. [1] [2] [3] This animal is considered to have been close to the ancestry of modern amphibians. Its length was about 20 centimetres (7.9 in). [4]
The only amphibians to bear claws are the African clawed frogs. Claws evolved separately in the amphibian and amniote (reptiliomorph) line. [12] However, the hairy frog has claw analogues on its feet; the frog intentionally dislocates the tips of its fingers to unsheathe the sharp points of its last phalanges.
Clawed frogs have powerful legs that help them move quickly both underwater and on land. Feral clawed frogs in South Wales have been found to travel up to 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) between locations. [11] The feet of Xenopus species have three black claws on the last three digits. These claws are used to rip apart food and scratch predators.
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Eocaecilia, an Early Jurassic amphibian commonly considered one of the oldest (stem-group) caecilians. Little is known of the evolutionary history of the caecilians, which have left a very sparse fossil record. The first fossil, a vertebra dated to the Paleocene, was not discovered until 1972. [44]
Skinks look like lizards of the family Lacertidae (sometimes called true lizards), but most species of skinks have no pronounced neck and relatively small legs.Several genera (e.g., Typhlosaurus) have no limbs at all.
Little is known about the longevity of frogs and toads in the wild, but some can live for many years. Skeletochronology is a method of examining bones to determine age. Using this method, the ages of mountain yellow-legged frogs ( Rana muscosa ) were studied, the phalanges of the toes showing seasonal lines where growth slows in winter.