Triassic temnospondyls

The Stereospondyli are a group of extinct temnospondyl amphibians that existed primarily during the Mesozoic period. They are known from all seven continents and were common components of many Triassic ecosystems, likely filling a similar ecological niche to modern crocodilians prior to the diversification of pseudosuchian archosaurs.

Plagiosauridae is a clade of temnospondyls of the Early to Late Triassic. Deposits of the group are most commonly found in non-marine aquatic depositional environments from central Europe and Greenland, but other remains have been found in Russia, Scandinavia, Australia and possibly Thailand.

The Mastodonsauroidea are an extinct superfamily of temnospondyl amphibians known from the Triassic. Fossils belonging to this superfamily have been found in North America, Greenland, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Ferganobatrachus from the Jurassic of Asia was initially assigned to this superfamily, but is now considered to be congeneric with the brachyopid Gobiops.

thumb|left|Life restoration of Benthosuchus sushkini thumb|left|Underside of the skull of the species Benthosuchus korobkovi showing double rows of small teeth and large fangs on the front palate

Brachyopoidea is a superfamily of temnospondyls that lived during the Mesozoic. It contains the families Brachyopidae and Chigutisauridae. The earliest records of brachyopids are from the Lower Triassic in Australia. The latest-surviving member of the superfamily is the chigutisaurid Koolasuchus from the Early Cretaceous of Australia.

Euskelia is a clade of extinct temnospondyl amphibians. The naming derives from the ancient Greek eu, meaning "true", and skelos, meaning "limb", in reference to well-ossified limb bones with crests to which muscles were attached. Members of this group have the most ossified skeleton of all temnospondyls.

Rhytidosteidae is a family of Temnospondyli that lived in the Permian and Triassic.

Trematosauria is one of two major groups of temnospondyl amphibians that survived the Permian-Triassic extinction event, the other (according to Yates and Warren 2000) being the Capitosauria. The trematosaurs were a diverse and important group that included many medium-sized to large forms that were semi-aquatic to fully aquatic. The group included long-snouted forms such as the trematosauroids and short, broad-headed forms such as the metoposaurs. Although most groups did not survive beyond the Triassic, one lineage, the brachyopoids, continued until the Cretaceous period. Trematosauria is de

Metoposauridae is an extinct family of trematosaurian temnospondyls. The family is known from the Late Triassic period. Most members are large, approximately long and could reach 3 m long. Metoposaurids can be distinguished from most other stereospondyls by the position of their eyes, placed far forward on the snout (the type genus, Metoposaurus, means 'front lizard').

Metoposauroidea is an extinct superfamily of temnospondyls that lived from the Middle to Upper Triassic in North America, Europe and North Africa. Metoposauroidea includes the families Metoposauridae and Latiscopidae.

right|thumb|Arenaerpeton|Arenaerpeton supinatus (specimen AM F125866) from the [[Sydney Basin]]

Dvinosaurs are one of several new clades of temnospondyls named in the phylogenetic review of the group by Yates and Warren 2000. They represent a group of primitive semi-aquatic to completely aquatic temnospondyls, and are known from the Late Carboniferous to the Early Triassic, being most common in the Permian period. Their distinguishing characteristics are a reduction of the otic notch; the loss of a flange on the rear side of the pterygoid; and 28 or more presacral vertebrae.

Mastodonsauridae is a family of capitosauroid temnospondyls. Fossils belonging to this family have been found in North America, Greenland, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The family Capitosauridae is synonymous with Mastodonsauridae.

Lydekkerinidae is a family of stereospondyl temnospondyls that lived in the Early Triassic period. During this time period, lydekkerinids were widely distributed, with putative remains reported from Russia, Greenland, India, South Africa, Madagascar, Australia, and Antarctica. In contrast to most other stereospondyls, lydekkerinids were relatively small-bodied (most with skulls less than 10 cm in length). The type genus is Lydekkerina, the namesake of the family and the best-known lydekkerinid.

Lapillopsidae is an extinct family of temnospondyls.

Plagiosauroidea is a superfamily of stereospondyl temnospondyls that lived in the Triassic period.

Trematosauroidea are an important group of Triassic temnospondyl amphibians. They flourished briefly during the Early Triassic, occurring worldwide before declining at the start of the Middle Triassic, although the group continued until the Late Triassic. They were medium-sized temnospondyls with wedge-shaped tails, narrow skulls, and, in advanced forms, elongated snouts. The latter feature was probably an adaptation for feeding on fish. The largest and most specialized family, the Trematosauridae, are the only batrachomorphs to have adapted to a marine lifestyle with the exception of the mode

Capitosauria is an extinct group of large temnospondyl amphibians with simplified stereospondyl vertebrae. Mainly living as piscivores in lakes and rivers, the Capitosauria and its sister taxon Trematosauria were the only major labyrinthodonts that existed during the Mesozoic in ecological niches broadly similar to those of modern crocodiles, and some grew to very large sizes. At 6 meters in length, the Mid-Triassic Mastodonsaurus giganteus is not only thought to have been the largest capitosaur, but possibly also the largest amphibian to have lived. The latest known remains are from the Rhaet

Heylerosauridae is a family of mastodonsauroid temnospondyls. It was first named in 1980 to include the genera Odenwaldia and Quasicyclotosaurus. In addition to these genera, the family now includes Eocyclotosaurus and Yuanansuchus. Recent phylogenetic analyses have not found a close relationship between Odenwaldia and other heylerosaurids and place it outside the family. Heylerosaurids are generally regarded as the sister taxon of the stenotosaurids.

Thoosuchus (meaning "active crocodile") is an extinct genus of basal trematosauroid trematosaurian temnospondyl. Fossils have been found from Russia and date back to the Early Triassic. It is the type genus of the family Thoosuchidae, formerly called the subfamily Thoosuchinae and placed within Benthosuchidae. The benthosuchids were originally composed of the majority of basal trematosaurian forms regarded as the ancestors of the trematosaurids.