When Giant Amphibians Reigned

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Temnospondyls were a huge group of amphibians that existed for 210 million years. And calling them ‘diverse’ would be putting it mildly. Yet in the end, two major threats would push them to extinction: the always-changing climate and the amniote egg.
Thanks to Ceri Thomas for the very cool Temnospondyl reconstructions throughout this episode. Check out more of Ceri's paleoart at / alphynix and nixillustration.com
And thanks as always to Nobumichi Tamura for allowing us to use his wonderful paleoart: spinops.blogspot.com/
Produced for PBS Digital Studios.
Super special thanks to the following Patreon patrons for helping make Eons possible:
Katie Fichtner, Aldo Espinosa Zúñiga, Anthony Callaghan, الخليفي سلطان, Gabriel Cortez, Marcus Lejon, Anel Salas, Robert Arévalo, Robert Hill, Kelby Reid, Todd Dittman, Betsy Radley, Svetlana Pylaeva, Colin Sylvester, Philip Slingerland, John Vanek, Jose Garcia, Noah offitzer, Eric Vonk, Tony Wamsley, Henrik Peteri, Jonathan Wright, Jon Monteiro, James Bording, Brad Nicholls, Miles Chaston, Michael McClellan, Jeff Graham, Maria Humphrey, Nathan Paskett, Connor Jensen, Sapjes, Daisuke Goto, Hubert Rady, Yuntao Zhou, Gregory Kintz, Tyson Cleary, Chandler Bass, Maly Lor, Joao Ascensao. Tsee Lee, Sarah Fritts, Ruben Winter, Ron Harvey Jr, Joshua Mitchell, Johnny Li, Jacob Gerke, Alex Yan
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References:
Gaining Ground: The Origin and Evolution of Tetrapods, Second Edition by Jennifer A. Clack.
The Rise of Amphibians: 365 Million Years of Evolution by Robert Carroll.
Amphibian Evolution: The Life of Early Land Vertebrates by Rainer R. Schoch.
Earth Before the Dinosaurs by Sebastian Steyer.
How Vertebrates Left the Water by Michel Laurin.
The Late Triassic World: Earth in a Time of Transition, edited by Lawrence H. Tanner.
The Story of Life in 25 Fossils: Tales of Intrepid Explorers and the Wonders of Evolution by Donald R. Prothero.
rspb.royalsocietypublishing.or...
academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
“Fishes and Amphibians From the Late Permian Pedra De Fogo Formation of Northern Brazil” by Cox and Barry, 1991.
www.jstor.org/stable/4524569
“Lower Triassic Temnospondyli of Tasmania” by Cogsgriff, 1974.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/p...
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/a...

[@bluebowser3121]

*Crazy to imagine there was such thing as salt water amphibians.*

[@melvinshine9841]

I think modern amphibians can't handle salt water because it has an adverse effect on their skin. I can't remember how it works.

[@MisterSiza78]

@@melvinshine9841 maybe because it will dry out due to osmosis?

[@tec-jones5445]

@@melvinshine9841 their skin is very delicate, as they need it to absorb water through their skin. Unlike these ancient ones, today's amphibians not only need water to breed, but also to stay alive as adults. They don't have scales or tough skin to keep water in. So they are restricted to water. Because of this permeable skin, salt can easily damage because of how easily it is absorbed through water. And without proper salt filtering kidneys or organs, the salt becomes toxic. That's not to say salt water amphibians might not appear again. If the right selective pressures are made available, then such amphibians might just evolve independently again given enough time.

[@timeshark8727]

You are correct sir! The higher salinity of ocean water will pull water out of modern amphibians (and most freshwater fish) too quickly for them to replenish it. Mainly due to how poorly their skin tends to hold in water to begin with.

[@timeshark8727]

doesn't surprise me, frogs tend to try eating anything that can fit in their mouths.

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

Funny how a show about everything dying can make one feel so alive with wonder :)

[@Zeithri]

Makes me wish I could become a God with my own planet and just observe life and such ^^

[@zacimusprime4865]

Tragoudistros.MPH I guess so

[@Delta-ei7im]

Wow that is dark

[@masterofmundus1304]

Now let's be accurate, this is a show about what we learned from the people who spend their life staring at corpses. I don't think I've ever seen them do an episode on things that are still in the process of dying, presumably because the corpse watchers don't like all the screaming.

[@transnewt]

HHAHAHAGAGAGAGAGAHAHQHAHQHHAHAHAHAHAH...HAHAHAHQHA.

[@sterkar99]

All the hosts on this channel are just so kind and likeable

[@nealsterling8151]

Indeed, but they should slow down a bit, i'm getting palpitation by just trying to follow their talking speed.

[@ragnkja]

Thraazon 1976 I’ve found that turning on captions helps me understand what they’re saying, even though I hear reasonably well.

[@ObjectsInMotion]

They're also really nice in real life as well! Got the pleasure to meet many of the PBS team in Anaheim last summer.

[@puffdaddy69]

Neal Sterling *in settings, turn playback speed down a notch, might help*

[@nahidawani7158]

Especially Blake!

[@TctyaDDKhang]

Idea: Learn to use an egg "I was already doing that" Use a stronger egg. Put water in it. Have the baby, on land, in the egg, water is in the egg, baby in the egg, in the water, in the egg. Works for me. _bye bye ocean_

[@shalberus]

I literally scrolled into the comments section specifically to look for this comment so I could thumbs up it.

[@breebell468]

+

[@nathanross7448]

We can make a religion out of this

[@FireflyJuu]

@@nathanross7448 No, don't

[@hamishm29]

@anime fantasy123 the sun is a deadly laser

[@lazyperfectionist1]

Don't forget to make a video about placentas.

[@hojjat5000]

How come I see your comments on different channels and different videos? Is it because I probably commented under one of your comments and now KZbin thinks we're friends?

[@zhugedai1279]

Really wish it was made by now, im really curious why live birth developed

[@puffdaddy69]

And how Hollywood freaks cook their babies placentas like a steak on the BBQ?

[@KOKO-uu7yd]

I just went looking, and I didn't find it.😭 So either it's forgotten, or I just missed it.

[@glennsommer8901]

still waiting buddy

[@MrStensnask]

We're getting closer to a whole episode dedicated to the evolution of the egg. Eggcellent.....

[@zhugedai1279]

Why why why

[@kianmills4170]

S T O P

[@reuireuiop0]

How Eggciting 😁

[@iainburgess8577]

Eggsactly. It should be Eggstrordinary.

[@harmitchhabra989]

@@iainburgess8577 would*

[@rq170Sentinel]

Imagine those giants croaking in the evenings. Metal concerts would have nothing on them and no sleep for anybody.

[@RJALEXANDER777]

Koolasuchus sounds like a pretty good name for a Garage Band.

[@5daboz]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYrTpGChfLWbbZo

[@robwalsh9843]

@Madalin Grama True but there were a pretty wide variety of species, including land dwellers. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary if they had vocalizations.

[@BenadrylNumbercrunch]

you keep calling that thing weird names when it's obviously a quagsire

[@zoerronquillo1844]

and mudkip

[@ErdingerLi]

Whooper~

[@Ravenkiko]

I had the exact same thought at first lol

[@Verdinhox2]

wich thing are you referring to

[@senecagordon5472]

Probably the quagsire

[@LimeyLassen]

Fun fact: "newt" used to called "ewt", but people said the phrase "an ewt" so much that the N got stuck.

[@mattdziedzic7686]

Very nice

[@RJALEXANDER777]

"She turned me into an ewt!" "An ewt?!" "...I got better."

[@slappy8941]

@@RJALEXANDER777 BURN HER!

[@Mysterytour7]

Lol! The reverse happened to an apple = a naple

[@ferengiprofiteer9145]

An ewt is a newt, of course, of course.

[@VaradMahashabde]

"But by now you know, all success is fleeting" --Motivational speech by Blake

[@sandramueller2592]

My sister moved out to the country where she thought it would be quiet. In the spring the frogs mate and it is just a cacophony for about a month. His line at the end about the frogs made me think of this.

[@AlishN7]

I just love how Blake embraces his awkward hyperactiveness. Never change and keep drinking coffee.

[@diegog1853]

"Fans of this channel will know that the permian ended 252 million years ago" amm... yeah sure... i know that. Just a regular fan here that knows stuff

[@srimasis]

Noooooooooooooob

[@robinchesterfield42]

The Permian ended REALLY DRAMATICALLY 252 million years ago...along with almost everything else. Look up "The Great Dying"; it's...interesting. Actually look up the Permian in general--the "mammal-like reptiles" are awesome, related to us, and an entire sub-group that aren't around anymore.

[@diegog1853]

@@robinchesterfield42 i knew about the Great Dying, just didn't know the exact year lol

[@mizzshortie907]

@@diegog1853 ikr same

[@fazeedkotta2580]

Could you do a video on Molluscs and their evolution? I think that would really interesting.

[@MisterLitera1]

Walking with dinosaurs nostalgia anyone?

[@jivejunior8753]

I think you'll find that that video is about cephalopods, and mollusks comprise much more than just cephalopods.

[@jensphiliphohmann1876]

There is an idea that some cephalopods might become land dwellers and some of them maybe our successors as a civilization building species.

[@KlavierMenn]

@@jensphiliphohmann1876 I heard about that. There's more: some are starting to actually socialize, due to evolutionary pressure caused by us, and they are making nests together, which seems to be an odd behavior

[@MossyMozart]

@@jensphiliphohmann1876 - I would agree with you, since they are so very highly intelligent, except that they have such a cruelly short life span.

[@neverdullday7432]

Can we get a prehistoric Australia video? At least Megalania!

[@neverdullday7432]

no idea what you're talking about

[@TheDinoshark]

At, the very least they're acknowledge Australia's existence.

[@raunakroy47]

You just read my mind

[@brandedfate]

I would like a video on prehistoric marsupials as well.

[@theofficalchairmanrevoluti614]

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES- *YES*

[@marchismo8514]

I really enjoy the content on this channel. I'm a Geologist so it's all very interesting to me. Can I make one small suggestion though, I appreciate having more context and in particular where subjects are located in the world at any given time in history. Could you perhaps add more locality maps (with the continental reconstructions at given time periods as base maps) for each of your fossil mentions or rock formation descriptions? It would help people visualize where things existed on Earth in the past. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@sixfeetundertheradar6080]

Marchismo 85 I wish. Honestly my biggest problem with dying is that I won’t get to see all of the new animals and evolutions of the future

[@naoko7038]

I like how you actually credit other makers work unlike most other science channels! This was also very informative

[@adronator]

Still would really love to see the evolution of spiders.

[@josephlongbone4255]

It's very hard to get fossils for small arthropods, they don't preserve well unless you get rare stuff like amber or things like the Messle shale. As such we don't really know, which is a shame.

[@MerkhVision]

No! Just… NO!

[@mmaxmax6]

@@MerkhVision why not? they're fascinating little creatures

[@sorrenblitz805]

We have some. Some of the earliest "spiders" come from the carboniferous period, mygalomorph spiders, which include modern day tarantulas, come from this period and we know of some true spiders from the end of the Jurassic period and the Cretaceous period. It's likely they evolved from sea-whip scorpions that lived along side other arachnid ancestors like Brontoscorpio.

[@MossyMozart]

@The Adronator - I saw a show ("Nature"?) that discussed modern spiders. I remember them remarking on spiders in meadows where there are maybe 1,000 or so per square meter.

[@IuliusPsicofactum]

Great episode. Nobody talks about the giant amphibias very often.

[@troyandskyelar9588]

And yet they’re one of the coolest groups of animals to have their turn at reigning on earth.

[@TheRedVoyager]

I would definitely watch an episode on placentas

[@Diepzeevis]

This channel is so wholesome, with an amazing amount of information condensed into ten minute videos, great level of information with a good amount of science added in, its relaxing music, silly jokes and likable presenters (all of you!). Keep it up, I love it!

[@NelsonDiscovery]

A wholesome channel full of mass-extinctions lol

[@MossyMozart]

@@NelsonDiscovery - And vicious carnivores, like T-Rex, Bear-Dogs, and Bone Crushing Dogs.

[@SC-zq6cu]

Ah yes, Australia trying to be weird since the first land vertebrates appeared.

[@Nrex117]

You guys should do a video on prehistoric crocodilian diversity.

[@harrietlyall1991]

As a Scot, I am so proud to learn that Amhibians first evolved in our primeval swamps here in Scotland. Nessie is their most renowned descendant.

[@hmeaney19]

SCOTLAND!!!!!!

[@pizmak]

I think that I recognize one of the pictures of Metoposaurus as a speciment form Krasiejow in Poland, the last one. I used to volunteer in excavations at that site, and I recognize the skeleton.

[@Kroggnagch]

I wish so incredibly badly that I could go back in time in some sort of space/time-bubble where I couldn't affect anything and vice-versa so I could see all the critters that used to exist. Imagine all the ones we don't even know of that filled unique niche parts of the ecosystems.

[@juanlugarciamorato5177]

Please you can do a video about how rhinos got ther horns?

[@aaronmarks9366]

I love amphibians, so this was a great choice for an episode! Can you do a follow up on how frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians all diverged from each other?

[@CybranM]

Its great that you show both metric and imperial, too many american channels only show imperial. Thanks for another great episode :D

[@gideonjones5712]

I love amphibians, especially salamanders. Ancient amphibians have always fascinated me, thanks for the video!

[@FireflyJuu]

Looking forward to the placenta episode, eons is on a role lately

[@sagetmaster4]

You guys should do a video on the super early primates like the Purgatorius titusi

[@eons]

Stay tuned! (BdeP)

[@vennril]

Found this in my recommendations and within the first minute I hear the term "armor-plated KILLERS", uuuusually a sign to switch to a more credible documentary. But this time I'm glad I stayed.

[@dariusrose9909]

Could you do a video on the Creodonts and Entelodonts!

[@digitalchameleon1884]

Amazing. Great delivery, subbed and after looking at what else you have done, phew gonna be some hours spent here now. Peace buddy thanks.

[@grexjr1420]

Learning about all of this just makes me appreciate how incredibly rare and beautiful the story of life is. How amazing it is that one planet in the vastness of the universe created such diverse, sometimes otherworldly, and yet all essential animals and life.

[@faustianrevival3816]

Adapt to emerging threats or be wiped out. Lesson learned. Thanks for the video.

[@dwarfbunni]

WHERE IS THE PLACENTA VIDEO!? honestly, I'm joking however that sounds incredible

[@hilfsmittel7934]

A video about the *evolution of sexual reproduction* would be interesting.

[@edthurber6265]

Already did. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6TRZa1tl7OVZ5Y

[@hilfsmittel7934]

@@edthurber6265 Oh, thank you, didn't notice that one

[@richardadams4928]

I don't care to have documentarians following me all about, but appreciate the thought....

[@sadgirlhours4088]

Oh what a wonderful world we would be living in if temnopsondyls never went extinct :( the artistic renditions of them are so cute :( I miss them

[@veecee3669]

I just discovered PBS Eons, and I love it! It's so interesting, with cool pictures and descriptions. I'll be visiting often, thank you!

[@jorgegar1993]

This channel is one of the best ever! It is pretty interesting to consider the possibility that the Gymnophiona (Caecilians) may have had a separate evolutionary origin than the Caudata (Salamanders) and Anura (Frogs). You guys should do videos on some of the more obscure yet very important animal phyla out there and their evolutionary origins: Bryozoa, Annelida, Brachiopda, Nemertea, Hemichordata, Nematoda, Priapulida, Rotifera, Platyhelminthes, etc...

[@jjhuerta100]

Episode on monotremes would be pretty cool

[@jasonfrye4669]

jjhuerta100 kool

[@SuicideBunny6]

8:14 But all that changed when the aquatic amniotes nation attacked ...

[@veggieboyultimate]

So it’s important to know that amphibians were one of the first animals to conquer land and now we are hunting them to near extinction for development.

[@joshbroke8965]

This channel makes my inner child so excited every time I receive a notification that there is a new video. Love it, with the videos were a bit longer tho lol

[@persycon]

He is a golden narrator!

[@themaximus144]

I really have to say that after following you guys for a while now, this is the best KZbin channel you guys from sci show and Hank Green's crew have created to date. I'm so glad you guys teemed up with pbs to create this project, because it's been a real joy to watch progress.

[@russkiydeutsch990]

Amphibians>>>>>Everything else

[@coreytaylor447]

NO. CHOOSE LAND OR WATER. CANT HAVE BOTH.

[@russkiydeutsch990]

Corey Taylor LIES

[@russkiydeutsch990]

D r . S p u d True

[@magnuspeacock5857]

HAVE YOU SEEN PLACEDERMS?

[@celtgunn9775]

I absolutely love when he does the episode about the different animals. His presentation is so refreshing. So wonderful. And when he pulled out the phone & told it to remind him to do an episode for us on a specific topic. I'd like to know more about flowers & what the oldest fossil known is. I love flowers, bees, butterflies. 😊🐝🦋🌻

[@shruggzdastr8-facedclown]

Thanks for this video on the Age Of The Great Amphibians!

[@celiphon3812]

i’ve been binge watching these videos all day

[@zeynaviegas5043]

an episode about placentas. I can't wait for that! call it "the ascension of placentas"

[@GogetaVegeth98]

Love this channel videos a lot! Keep going like that guys P.S. Still waiting that placenta episode 😂

[@sonjavandenende9586]

Thanks for another great video! I look forward to every Eons episode and I especially love the ones that introduce me to things I'd never known, like this one has.

[@NelsonDiscovery]

That outro line is inspired by the similar outro of some dinosaur documentary. "When you listen to the chirping of birds remember the great creatures they are related to." Or something like that. And then they the superimpose the image of a T-rex on a bunch of birds. Damn... It's so long ago I can't remember.

[@dionneelsayed3890]

Oh man I love this channel. Every single episode blows my mind. Does anyone know where I can get more content like this?

[@storytellingsnek5255]

Trey the Explainer and Ben G Thomas also do some interesting paleontology vids

[@citiesskyscrapers4561]

Do a video about elephant evolution please.

[@scaper8]

Yes. All the crazy extinct elephants alone would make a great video. Add to that how, when, and why they diverged and where the separation from what would become hyraxes would be amazing!

[@TheJasonmassia]

This might be one of my favorite Eons videos yet.. Great work!

[@Clearlight201]

There's an absolute ton of information in each of your amazing videos. Thank you very much!

[@jancukasu]

6:31 Awesome! Thank you!

[@SuperLoops]

I love Dimetrodons there was a picture of one in my dinosaur book and it looked really happy. and so does 5:21 :D if I lived in the Permian I would have a pet one

[@LeeannG]

As a photographer, I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see image credits!

[@dustinfreeman1451]

Imagine when we come across those giant amphibians today. That could really blow our minds.

[@Ganymede1001]

This channel is what we all need!

[@zimautanimation]

Dude, those joke with your phone is so bad its feels goood LOL

[@Mjmannella]

And it came true as well!

[@talonflame_brawlstars.7208]

I am so very grateful to get some clarification on these absolutely adorable oddball creatures.

[@Peusterokos1]

Dayum, the last time I was this early on PBS Eons' newly released video, giant fungi were all up in here!

[@annikathewitch3950]

Still waiting for that episode on placentas...

[@QsPhilosophy]

Do a video about the giant ground sloths! Megatherium and such

[@angeliquebarbey8340]

One usually does not hear about the evolution of the amphibians. I am glad that this subject is dealt with here!

[@rubenskiii]

I love ur videos! I particularly like how you show the names on screen so you can google these long gone fellows and be even more amazed by their discovery stories and weird nephews they had...

[@DuluthTW]

Huh. Really interesting. I learned a lot. I love this series. Thanks for sharing!

[@Soruxx]

How cool was the koolasuchus?

[@aciebel8313]

Thanks, Blake, for yet another interesting and entertaining episode. The artwork that Ceri Thomas provides is beautiful and helps us all get a better idea of what these animals all looked like.

[@garywalton3482]

7:57 I love the boreal forest and boreal wetland background.

[@DutchBane]

I so love this channel

[@casper6405]

Wasn't koolasuchus also in walking with dinosaurs Loved that show

[@nicks1451]

If you camp here in Florida, you can hear gigantic bull alligators calling out at night. They're so loud, the entire forest shuts up in fear, including the campers. I can only imagine what these giant amphibians would have sounded like when they called out.

[@Aipe97]

Axolotls are just the cutests, I love them.

[@novakei1]

Koolasuchus? I think you mean Quagsire.

[@toby-os4fi]

Koolaidsuchus

[@Ivar2x4]

I'm loving this show more every episode

[@patlee4858]

2 years later. we still waiting on placenta

[@PrehistoricAustralia]

Always nice for extinct Australian animals like Koolasuchus to receive some media attention :) Australian palaeontology is highly underrated.

[@Ciech_mate]

Thank you for finally saying 'niché' properly

[@jasminejenkins6557]

Thanks for these facts I am 8 years old and I have to learn about dinosaurs at school

[@fen740]

Wow, y'all really are the greatest. I noticed this in my feed while taking a break from researching the ecological pressures on early amphibian diversification and smiled wider than I have all week! As always, beautifully informative and accessible. Please keep it up!

[@matthewludivico1714]

I love this video for how the narrator pronounces so many latin names of extinct animals, so easily. Absolutely inspirational!

[@jonedwards5953]

Koolasuchus cleelandi, named after Leslie Kool: the preparer of the fossils Mike Cleeland: the finder of the fossils at Inverloch. Great person too.

[@bluemanno7901]

Stupid crocodilians had to send all those cool giant amphibians to extinction 😞

[@benjafranklin5996]

This channel should be way more popular

[@avada0]

6:27 When is that reminder due?! It has been quite a few years!

[@eomguel9017]

Such cute amphibians! More on plant evolution, please!!!

[@clitcrusader4897]

This guy is the best narrator, use him more

[@exoboi6974]

I find it interesting that giant amphibians are still around in both Japan and China

[@jacobnestle3805]

Now I'm way more curious about placentas than I ever was before. Nice.

[@skoobydoofus5997]

Blake: "...Frog like teeth, as well" Me: "Frogs have teeth?"

[@markbilger2851]

Just going to point out that you could have totally named this episode Kool(asuchus) & The Gang and you missed such a punderful opportunity

[@DoctorWortspieler]

I was first introduced to koolasuchus with "Walking with Dinosaurs," so it's interesting that we get to see that animal's backstory here.

[@stacys8729]

I appreciated that the animals were put next to the narrator for scale.