Limnoscelidae

Limnoscelidae Temporal range: Late Carboniferous–Early Permian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Limnoscelis, the nominal genus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Order:	†Diadectomorpha
Family:	†Limnoscelidae Williston, 1911
Genera
See text.

Limnoscelidae is a family of carnivorous Diadectomorphans. They would have been the largest terrestrial carnivores of their day, the other large carnivores being aquatic or semi aquatic labyrinthodont amphibians. The Limnoscelidae themselves, being close to the ancestry of amniotes, would have been well adapted land animals, but still dependent on anamniote eggs, and possibly having a tadpole stage.^[1] Contrary to the more advanced herbivorous Diadectidae, the teeth retained labyrinthodont infolding of the enamel, and were pointed and slightly recurved at the tip.^[2]

Taxonomy

Three species assigned to two genera make up the known members of the family.

• Limnoscelis (two species) is the nominal genus for which the family was erected.^[3] Both species were quite large animals, capable of reaching 1.5 meters as adults.
• Limnostygis (one species) is known from a single partial skeleton was assigned to the family by Robert L. Carroll^[2] It was markedly smaller than its cousins, about 40 cm in adult length.

References

1. Carroll R.L. (1991): The origin of reptiles. In: Schultze H.-P., Trueb L., (ed) Origins of the higher groups of tetrapods — controversy and consensus. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, pp 331-353.
2. Carroll, R.L. (Sep 1967). "A Limnoscelid Reptile from the Middle Pennsylvanian". Journal of Paleontology 41 (5): 1256–1261. JSTOR 1302096.
3. Williston, S.W. (1911). "A new family of reptiles from the Permian of New Mexico". The American Journal of Science. 4 33: 378–398.