Skip to content
Category

Prehistoric amphibian genera

page 1
Prionosuchus
Prionosuchus is an extinct genus of large temnospondyl. A single species P. plummeri, is recognized from the Early Permian (some time between 299 and 272 million years ago). Its fossils have been found in what is now northeastern Brazil.
Triadobatrachus
Triadobatrachus is an extinct genus of salientian frog-like amphibians, including only one known species, Triadobatrachus massinoti. It is the oldest member of the frog lineage known, and an excellent example of a transitional fossil. It lived during the Early Triassic about 250 million years ago, in what is now Madagascar.
Metoposaurus
Metoposaurus meaning "front lizard" is an extinct genus of stereospondyl temnospondyls, known from the Late Triassic of Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal. This animal was mostly aquatic, possessing small, weak limbs, sharp teeth, and a large, flat head. This highly flattened creature mainly fed on fish, which it captured with its wide jaws lined with needle-like teeth. Many Metoposaurus mass graves have been found, probably from creatures that grouped together in drying pools during drought.
Archegosaurus
Archegosaurus is a genus of temnospondyl amphibian which lived during the Asselian to Wuchiapingian stages of the Permian, around 299-253 million years ago. The remains of this animal, consisting of at least 90 partial skeletons (mostly skulls), have been found in Germany. The name Archegosaurus was coined by Goldfuss in 1847. Archegosaurus is a member of Archegosauridae and is that family's type genus.
Platyhystrix
Platyhystrix (from Greek: πλατύς platús, 'flat' and Greek: ῠ̔́στρῐξ hústrix, 'porcupine') is an extinct temnospondyl amphibian with a distinctive sail along its back, similar to the unrelated synapsids, Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus. It lived during the boundary between the latest Carboniferous and earliest Permian periods throughout what is now known as the Four Corners, Texas, and Kansas about 300 million years ago.
Karaurus sharovi
Karaurus (meaning head-tail) is an extinct genus of stem-group salamander (Caudata) from the Middle to Late Jurassic (Callovian–Kimmeridgian) Karabastau Formation of Kazakhstan. It is one of the oldest salamanders known.
Dendrerpeton
Dendrerpeton (from , 'tree' and , 'creeping thing') is a genus of an extinct group of temnospondyl amphibians. Its fossils have been found primarily in the Joggins Formation of Eastern Canada and in Ireland. It lived during the Carboniferous and is said to be around 309–316 million years of age, corresponding to more specifically the Westphalian age. Of terrestrial temnospondyl amphibians evolution, it represents the first stage. Although multiple species have been proposed, the species unanimously recognized is D. acadianum. This species name comes from "Acadia" which is a historical name for
Amphibamus
Amphibamus is a genus of amphibamid temnospondyl amphibians from the Carboniferous (middle Pennsylvanian) of North America. This animal is considered to have been close to the ancestry of modern amphibians. Its length was about .
Branchiosaurus
Branchiosaurus (from , 'gill' and , 'lizard') is a genus of small, prehistoric amphibians. Fossils have been discovered in strata dating from the late Pennsylvanian Epoch to the Permian Period. The taxa may be invalid; the material referred to the genus may be juvenile specimens of larger amphibians. thumb|left|Restoration upright|thumb|left|Skeletal diagram This tiny amphibian was very similar to the Rachitomi, differing primarily in size. Other distinguishing characteristics include a cartilaginous, less ossified skeleton and a shorter skull. Clear traces of gills are present in many fossili
Sclerocephalus
Sclerocephalus is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian from the lowermost Permian of Germany and Czech Republic with four valid species, including the type species S. haeuseri. It is one of the most completely preserved and most abundant Palaeozoic tetrapods. Sclerocephalus was once thought to be closely related to eryopoid temnospondyls, but it is now thought to be more closely related to archegosauroids. It is the only genus in the family Sclerocephalidae.
Platyoposaurus
Platyoposaurus was a temnospondyl from the Middle Permian epoch about 270-268 Mya.
Zygosaurus
Zygosaurus is an extinct genus of dissorophid temnospondyl from the Middle-Late Permian of Russia. It was described in 1848 by Eduard Eichwald, making it the first dissorophid to be described and is known from a single species, Zygosaurus lucius. The location of the holotype, and only known specimen, is unknown, and although casts are reposited in several institutions, little is known about this taxon beyond qualitative aspects of the skull (e.g., preorbital length twice as long as postorbital length; skull width greatest at mid-length of orbits). The skull was estimated to be around 20 c
Trematosaurus
Trematosaurus is an extinct genus of trematosaurid temnospondyl amphibian found in Germany and Russia. It was first named by Hermann Burmeister in 1849 and the type species is Trematosaurus brauni.
Konzhukovia
Konzhukovia is an amphibian genus that belongs to an extinct family Konzhukoviidae of temnospondyls, the largest clade of basal tetrapods including about 198 genera, 292 species, and more than half of which were alive during the early Mesozoic period. The animal was a predator that lived about 260 million years ago, and could get up to about three meters in length. Specifically, Konzukovia lived during the Permian, between 252 and 270 million years ago according to the type of rock the fossil was found in. There are three species within this genus, K. vetusta, K. tarda, and K. sangabrielensis,
list of prehistoric amphibians
Wikimedia list article
Compsocerops
Compsocerops is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibians recovered from the Late Triassic Upper Maleri and Tiki Formations of India, and the Santa Maria Formation of Brazil.
Rubricacaecilia
Rubricacaecilia ("Red Earth Caecilian") is an extinct genus of caecilian (limbless amphibian) from the Berriasian aged Ksar Metlili Formation in Morocco. The genus contains a single species, Rubricacaecilia monbaroni, Named for geologist M. monbaron. It is known from a nearly complete pseudodentary bone, several fragmentary pseudodentaries, a partial pseudangular, a partial palatine, an atlas, and vertebrae.
Anoualerpeton
Anoualerpeton is an extinct genus of lissamphibian in the family Albanerpetontidae. It is the oldest and most primitive albanerpetontid known. Fossils have been found of two different species, Anoualerpeton priscus from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) aged Forest Marble and Kilmaluag formations of England and Scotland, and Anoualerpeton unicus from Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (Tithonian-Berriasian) Ksar Metlili Formation of Morocco. A. unicus is the only named albanerpetontid from Gondwana.
Acheloma
Acheloma (also known as Trematops milleri) is an extinct genus of temnospondyl that lived during the Early Permian. The type species is A. cumminsi.
Saharastega
Saharastega is an extinct genus of basal temnospondyl which lived during the Late Permian period, around 251 to 260 million years ago. Remains of Saharastega, discovered by paleontologist Christian Sidor at the Moradi Formation in Niger, were described briefly in 2005 and more comprehensively in 2006. The description is based on a skull lacking the lower jaws.
Kamacops
thumb|left|Restoration of Kamacops acervalis
Dasyceps
Dasyceps is an extinct genus of zatracheidid temnospondyl from the early Permian of England.
Broiliellus
Broiliellus is an extinct genus of dissorophoid temnospondyl within the family Dissorophidae. Broiliellus is most closely related to the genus Dissorophus, and both have been placed in the subfamily Dissorophinae. Broiliellus is known from five species from the Early Permian: the type species is Broiliellus texensis, and the other species are Broiliellus brevis, Broiliellus olsoni, Broiliellus arroyoensis, and Broiliellus reiszi. An additional species, Broiliellus novomexicanus, which was originally named Aspidosaurus novomexicanus, is now thought to fall outside the genus as a member of the s
Aspidosaurus
Aspidosaurus is an extinct genus of dissorophoid temnospondyl within the family Dissorophidae.
Celtedens
Celtedens is an extinct genus of albanerpetontid amphibian from the Early Cretaceous of England, Spain, Sweden and Italy, and the Late Jurassic of Portugal.
Clamorosaurus
Clamorosaurus is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian. Fossils of Clamorosaurus have been found in the Inta Formation (Vorkuta series) in Russia. They are dated to about 272.5 million years ago, which was during the Ufimian interval of the Permian.
Urupia
Urupia is an extinct genus of salamander in what is now Russia from the Bathonian aged Itat Formation. It was described by P. P. Skutschas and S. A. Krasnolutskii in 2011, and the type species is U. monstrosa.
Melosaurus
Melosaurus is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian. Fossils of it have been found in Russia. Fossil remains of Melosaurus uralensis were discovered at Belebei in Russia. Its fossils dated of the Asselian-Olenekian stages (299–245 million years ago). Fossils of Melosaurus sp. were also unearthed at the site. Fossils of Melosaurus uralensis were found at the Sterlitamak site in Bashkortostan in Russia. The span of the strata is listed as Wordian (268–265.8 million years ago).
Albanerpeton
Albanerpeton is an extinct genus of salamander-like albanerpetontid amphibian found in North America, Europe and Asia first appearing in Cretaceous-aged strata. There are eight described members of the genus, and one undiagnosed species from the Paskapoo Formation, making it by far the most speciose genus in the family. Members of the genus had a robust head and neck which likely allowed them to actively burrow, characteristic of fossorial species, and they lived in a wide range of environments. This genus of amphibian was the last of its order, surviving until into the Early Pleistocene (Gela
Iberospondylus
Iberospondylus is an extinct genus of basal temnospondyl amphibian which lived in a marine environment. The type material was found in the Emma Quarry Amphibian Bed of the Puertollano Basin, Ciudad Real province, southern Spain and extended the record for temnospondyls on the peninsula by 45 million years. Along with the holotype, a skull with several disarticulated vertebrae and ribs, two other partial skeletons are known. The name is derived from "Iberia" name of the peninsula where Spain is located, plus "spodylos", Greek for vertebra. The species name is in honor of Dr. Hans-Peter Schultze
Cheliderpeton
thumb|240px|right|Skull of Cheliderpeton Cheliderpeton (often misspelled Chelyderpeton) is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian. It lived during the Early Permian in what is now Europe. Fossils have been found from the Ruprechtice horizon of the Intrasudetic Basin of Bohemia in the Czech Republic, as well as the Saar-Nahe Basin of southwestern Germany. Cheliderpeton had a 16 cm skull, and reached about 65 cm in length.
Fayella
Fayella is an extinct genus of dubious temnospondyl from the Early Permian (Guadalupian) of Oklahoma.
Wesserpeton evansae
Wesserpeton is an extinct genus of albanerpetontid amphibian known from the Isle of Wight, southern England, and Balve, Germany.
Micropholis
genus of amphibian (fossil)
Pangerpeton
Pangerpeton is an extinct genus of salamanders. Its monotypic species is Pangerpeton sinensis.
Habrosaurus
Habrosaurus, meaning "graceful lizard", is an extinct genus of prehistoric salamanders, and the oldest and largest known member of the family Sirenidae. Two species are known, H. prodilatus from the middle Campanian Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, and H. dilatus from the late Maastrichtian and Paleocene of western North America. It is relatively common in the Lance Formation of Wyoming, and less common in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. left|thumb|Artists reconstruction of Habrosaurus dilatus swimming by a cypress tree
Palaeoplethodon
Palaeoplethodon hispaniolae is an extinct salamander species found in Miocene Dominican amber from the Dominican Republic. It is so far the only salamander species known to have existed in the Caribbean.
Thoosuchus
Thoosuchus (meaning "active crocodile") is an extinct genus of basal trematosauroid trematosaurian temnospondyl. Fossils have been found from Russia and date back to the Early Triassic. It is the type genus of the family Thoosuchidae, formerly called the subfamily Thoosuchinae and placed within Benthosuchidae. The benthosuchids were originally composed of the majority of basal trematosaurian forms regarded as the ancestors of the trematosaurids.
Yaksha perettii
species of amphibian (fossil)
Marmorerpeton
Marmorerpeton is an extinct genus of prehistoric stem group-salamanders from the Middle Jurassic of the United Kingdom. They are among the oldest known salamanders.
Branchierpeton
Branchierpeton is an extinct genus of dissorophoidean euskelian temnospondyl within the family Micromelerpetontidae native to Africa.