The following set of
Megapezia footprints were found at Hardraw Scaur in 1978

Extract from a letter
from the Natural History Museum, Department of Palentology, July
2002
"The slab came from
the Yoredale series which are Visean, late Lower Carboniferous,
in age. The slab was collected by Mr S J Maude in 1977, he donated
it to the National Collection in 1978 where it is registered under
BMNH R 9378.... The specimen is on display in our permanent exhibition
'From the Beginning' which outlines the evolution of life through
time.
I have identified the
prints as cf. Megapezia. They are similar to the ichnogenus Megapezia
Matthew, 1903, from the late Tournasian of Nova Scotia. Footprints
have their own separate system of scientific nomenclature since,
with very few exceptions, they cannot be associated with skeletal
remains. Most footprint workers suggest that Megapezia might belong
to either an edopoid or ans eryopoid tmnosondyl (temnospondyls are
the Palaeozoic group from which modern amphibians derive). Both
these groups contain quite large, sometimes armoured amphibians
superficially resembling crocodiles in appearance and habits, active
semi-terrestrial carnivores, but unlike crocodiles, breeding in
water with aquatic gilled larvae..."
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