Specimen of Disconsauriscus from Czechia. Disconsauriscus is an early Permian amphibian similar to modern day axolotls.
The YNHM's collection of amphibian fossils date back to the Permian (299-252 Mya) and marks the end of dominance by amphibians. By the end permian, the swamps they called home were starting to disappear due to the warming climate causing an increase in arid environments. They were also competing with early reptiles which were not as reliant on water so could exploit more environments and ecological niches.
Early amphibians, like their modern descendants, frogs, newts, salamanders and toads, can live both terrestrially and aquatically, requiring their skin to be constantly hydrated and must return to water to breed. They showed little resemblance to their descendants and look more like modern alligators than modern frogs.