Spore creature - Diplocaulus PNG

Native to North America (and possibly also Morocco), Diplocaulus lived from the Early Permian almost up until the Great Dying (the Permian-Triassic mass extinction), around 299 - 251 million years ago. This lepospondyl is one of the more famous extinct amphibians. Its name means "double caul", and refers to its bizarre, boomerang-shaped head.

One of the largest known lepospondyls, Diplocaulus measured up to about 1 metre or so in length. It is thought to have swum in an undulating fashion (like a whale), due to its body shape. Although capable of travelling over land, it most likely spent a lot of of its time in water, probably hiding in the sediment at the bottom.

With a mouth full of sharp teeth, Diplocaulus was carnivorous. Like the similarly sized Chinese and Japanese giant salamanders of today, it was most likely an ambush predator that fed on insects and fish.

Its defining feature was its head, which had long, bony protrusions sticking out to either side. The purpose of this strange head shape is unknown. Suggested uses include defensive purposes (most contemporary predators would've had trouble swallowing a creature with such a huge, awkwardly shaped head), and an anchor point for skin flaps running down its body to aid in swimming.


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