Balanerpeton fossil map
Where fossils of Balanerpeton have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 330 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 330 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 | 335.9–330.3 million years ago (Visean) |
| Periods | Carboniferous |
| Named by | Milner and Sequeira 1994 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United Kingdom |
| Rock formations | East Kirkton Limestone |
About Balanerpeton
Balanerpeton is an extinct genus of temnospondyl from the Visean stage of the Early Carboniferous in Scotland. The genus contains a single species, Balanerpeton woodi, known from complete specimens discovered in the East Kirkton Quarry. It represents the earliest known definitive temnospondyl, a group of tetrapods that possibly may have given rise to amphibians, though whether modern amphibians truly descended from temnospondyls remains contentious among researchers.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Balanerpeton (revision 1368822984), 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: Q30021471.
