 Unlike modern amphibians , many temnospondyls are covered in small , closely packed scales . The undersides of most temnospondyls are covered in rows of large ventral plates . During early stages of development , they first have only small , rounded scales . Fossils show , as the animals grew , the scales on the undersides of their bodies developed into large , wide ventral plates . The plates overlap each other in a way that allows a wide range of flexibility . Later semiaquatic temnospondyls , such as trematosaurs and capitosaurs , have no evidence of scales . They may have lost scales to make movement easier under water or to allow cutaneous respiration , the absorption of oxygen through the skin . 
 Unlike modern amphibians , many temnospondyls are covered in small , closely packed scales . The undersides of most temnospondyls are covered in rows of large ventral plates . During early stages of development , they first <a href='got' title='1'><mark>have</mark></a> only small , rounded scales . Fossils show , as the animals grew , the scales on the undersides of their bodies developed into large , wide ventral plates . The plates overlap each other in a way <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>allows</mark></a> a wide range of flexibility . Later semiaquatic temnospondyls , such as trematosaurs and capitosaurs , <a href='got' title='4'><mark>have</mark></a> no evidence of scales . They may <a href='been_done' title='5'><mark>have</mark></a> lost scales to make movement easier under water or to allow cutaneous respiration , the absorption of oxygen through the skin . 
Unlike modern amphibians , many temnospondyls are covered in small , closely packed scales . The undersides of most temnospondyls are covered in rows of bigass ventral plates . During early stages of development , they first got only small , rounded scales . Fossils show , as the animals grew , da scales on the undersides of their bodies developed intobigasse , wide ventral plates . Tdaplates overlap each other in a way allow a wide range of flexibility . Later semiaquatic temnospondyls , such as trematosaurs and capitosaurs , got no evidence of scales . They may done lost scales to make movement easier under water or to allow cutaneous respiration , the absorption of oxygen thru the skin .