labyrinthodont

labyrinthodont
/lab'euh rin"theuh dont'/, n.
1. any member of several orders of small to large lizardlike terrestrial and freshwater amphibians, some ancestral to land vertebrates, forming the extinct subclass Labyrinthodonta that flourished from the Devonian through the Triassic periods, characterized by a solid, flattened skull and conical teeth.
adj.
2. having teeth with complexly infolded enamel surfaces.
3. belonging to or pertaining to the Labyrinthodonta.
[1840-50; < NL Labyrinthodonta, equiv. to Gk labýrinth(os) LABYRINTH + -odonta, neut. pl. of -odontos -ODONT]

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▪ fossil amphibian
      a type of tooth made up of infolded enamel that provides a grooved and strongly reinforced structure. This tooth type was common in the true amphibians (amphibian) of the Paleozoic Era, some lobe-finned fishes (fish) closely related to tetrapods (tetrapod), and in the early anthracosaurs—which were tetrapods closely related to the amniotes (Amniota).

      Labyrinthodont is also an archaic name for any member of the subclass Labyrinthodontia, an extinct group that served as a precursor to the amphibians. Labyrinthodonts lived during Carboniferous (Carboniferous Period) and Permian (Permian Period) times (about 359–251 million years ago) and may well have included the ancestors of all terrestrial vertebrates (vertebrate).

Kevin Padian
 

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Labyrinthodont — Lab y*rin tho*dont, a. (Paleon.) Of or pertaining to the {Labyrinthodonta}. n. One of the {Labyrinthodonta}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • labyrinthodont — noun Etymology: New Latin Labyrinthodontia, from Greek labyrinthos + odont , odous tooth more at tooth Date: circa 1852 any of a superorder (Labyrinthodontia) of extinct amphibians of the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic typically having bodies… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • labyrinthodont — a type of tooth with a complex infolding of dentine (an outer enamel layer may also be present) forming a labyrinthine pattern that can be seen in cross sections. Found in Crossopterygii and primitive Amphibia. A pulp cavity is not always present …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • labyrinthodont — 1. adjective Having teeth with a labyrinthine (maze like) internal structure 2. noun Any extinct amphibian of the subclass Labyrinthodontia …   Wiktionary

  • labyrinthodont — lab·y·rin·tho·dont …   English syllables

  • labyrinthodont — noun an amphibian of the superorder Labyrinthodontia • Hypernyms: ↑amphibian • Member Holonyms: ↑Labyrinthodontia, ↑superorder Labyrinthodontia, ↑Labyrinthodonta, ↑superorder Labyrinthodonta …   Useful english dictionary

  • Labyrinthodontia — Labyrinthodont (Greek, maze toothed ) is an obsolete term for any member of an extinct superorder or subclass (Labyrinthodontia) of amphibians, which constituted some of the dominant animals of Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic times (about 350… …   Wikipedia

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  • Skull roof — The full complement of of bones of the tetrapod skull roof, as seen in the labyrinthodont Xenotosuchus The skull roof , or the roofing bones of the skull are a set of bones covering the brain, eyes and nostrils in bony fishes and all land living… …   Wikipedia

  • Temnospondyli — Temnospondyls Temporal range: Early Carboniferous Early Cretaceous, 330–120 Ma Possible descendant taxon Lissamphibia survives to present …   Wikipedia

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