 Later in the 19th century , temnospondyls were classified as various members of Stegocephalia , a name coined by American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in 1868 . Cope placed stegocephalians in the class Batrachia , the name then used for Amphibia . Stegocephalia means " roof @-@ headed " in Greek , a reference to the wide , flat heads of temnospondyls and other early tetrapods . During this time , palaeontologists considered temnospondyls to be amphibians because they possessed three main features : gill arches in juvenile skeletons , indicating they were amphibious for at least the first part of their lives ; ribs that do not connect at the underside of the rib cage ; and deep pits in the skull that were interpreted as space for mucous glands . 
 Later in the 19th century , temnospondyls <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> classified as various members of Stegocephalia , a name coined by American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in 1868 . Cope placed stegocephalians in the class Batrachia , the name then used for Amphibia . Stegocephalia <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>means</mark></a> " roof @-@ headed " in Greek , a reference to the wide , flat heads of temnospondyls and other early tetrapods . During this time , palaeontologists considered temnospondyls to be amphibians because they possessed three main features : gill arches in juvenile skeletons , indicating they <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> amphibious for at least the first part of their lives ; ribs <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>that</mark></a>do not connect at <a href='None' title='5'><mark>the</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='6'><mark>underside</mark></a> of the rib cage ; and deep pits in the skull <a href='null_relcl' title='7'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='8'><mark>were</mark></a> interpreted as space for mucous glands . 
Later in da 19th century , temnospondyls was classified as various members of Stegocephalia , a name coined by American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in 1868 . Cope placed stegocephalians in tdaclass Batrachia , the name then used fa Amphibia . Stegocephalia mean " roof @-@ headed " in Greek , a reference to thdaide , flat heads of temnospondyls and other early tetrapods . durin dis time , palaeontologists considered temnospondyls to be amphibians cause they possessed three main features : gill arches in juvenile skeletons , indicating they was amphibious ffaat least the first part of their lives ; ribs do not connect at no underside of the rib cage ; and deep pits in the skull was interpreted as space fofaucous glands .