Amphibamus fossil map
Where fossils of Amphibamus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 300 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 300 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early tetrapods & amphibians |
|---|---|
| Lived | 309.8–307.4 million years ago (Moscovian) |
| Periods | Carboniferous |
| Family | Amphibamidae |
| Named by | Cope 1865 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Carbondale |
About 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 20 centimetres (7.9 in).
The generic name Amphibamus alludes to the two modes of locomotion of the animal, swimming with its oar-shaped tail, and crawling because of its long fingers with claws, from Greek ἀμφί (amphí) "both" and -βάμων (-bámōn) "that goes" or βᾶμα (bâma) "leg".
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Amphibamus (revision 1374029420), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q2351015.
