noun
- Extinct amphibians of the Carboniferous and Permian periods, characterized by complex tooth structure with infolded enamel and dentine.
Usage: paleontology; plural form; singular is labyrrinthodont; technical/scientific term
Examples
- Labyrinthodonts were among the earliest tetrapods to colonize freshwater environments.
- The complex tooth structure of labyrinthodonts gave them their distinctive name.
- Paleontologists study labyrinthodonts to understand the evolution of early amphibians.
- Labyrinthodonts dominated aquatic ecosystems during the Carboniferous period.
- The fossil record of labyrinthodonts provides evidence of the transition from fish to land vertebrates.