They were described at various times as batrachians, stegocephalians, and labyrinthodonts, although these names are now rarely used. Temnospondyls have been known since the early 19th century, and were initially thought to be reptiles. Although temnospondyls are considered amphibians, many had characteristics, such as scales, claws, and armor-like bony plates, that distinguish them from modern amphibians. These temnospondyls were some of the first vertebrates fully adapted to life on land. Most temnospondyls were semiaquatic, although some were almost fully terrestrial, returning to the water only to breed. Their life history is well understood, with fossils known from the larval stage, metamorphosis, and maturity. During about 210 million years of evolutionary history, they adapted to a wide range of habitats, including fresh water, terrestrial, and even coastal marine environments. Fossils have been found on every continent. A few species continued into the Cretaceous. The Temnospondyli (from Greek τέμνειν (temnein, "to cut") and σπόνδυλος (spondylos, "vertebra")) are a diverse order of small to giant tetrapods-often considered primitive amphibians-that flourished worldwide during the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic periods. Koolasuchus' size (4 m.) comparison with a modern crocodile (5 m.) and human (roughly 2 m.) from BBC WF site.
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