Dataset for: On the estimation of body mass in temnospondyls: A case study using the large-bodied Eryops and Paracyclotosaurus

Temnospondyli are a morphologically varied and ecologically diverse clade
of tetrapods that survived for over 200 million years. The body mass of
temnospondyls is a key variable in inferring their ecological,
physiological, and biomechanical attributes. However, estimating the body
mass of these extinct creatures has proven difficult because the group has
no extant descendants. Here we apply a wide range of body mass estimation
techniques developed for tetrapods to the iconic temnospondyls
Paracyclotosaurus davidi and Eryops megacephalus. These same methods are
also applied to a collection of extant organisms that serve as ecological
and morphological analogues. These include the giant salamanders Andrias
japonicus and Andrias davidianus, the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum,
the California newt Taricha torosa, and the saltwater crocodile,
Crocodylus porosus. We find that several methods can provide accurate mass
estimations across this range of living taxa, suggesting their suitability
for estimating the body masses of temnospondyls. Based on this, we
estimate the mass of Paracyclotosaurus was between 159 and 365 kg, and
Eryops was between 102 and 222 kg. These findings provide a basis for
examining body size evolution in this clade across their entire temporal
span.