Chenoprosopus fossil map
Where fossils of Chenoprosopus 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 | 303.7–286 million years ago (Gzhelian to Artinskian) |
| Periods | Carboniferous, Permian |
| Family | Cochleosauridae |
| Named by | Mehl 1913 |
| Fossil records | 8 occurrences at 5 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | El Cobre Canyon, Abo/Cutler, Cutler, Markley |
About Chenoprosopus
Chenoprosopus is a genus of extinct cochleosauridae that lived during late Carboniferous and early Permian periods. Two known species of Chenoprosopus are C. milleri and C. lewisi. Chenoprosopus lewisi was described in the basis of a virtually complete skull with maximum skull length of 95 mm. It is significantly smaller than Chenoprosopus milleri and was differentiated from that taxon by Hook (1993) based on sutural patterns of the skull roof. Hook also mentioned the reduced size of the vomerine tusks differentiated C. lewisi from C. milleri, but the different size of these tusks may be different ontogenetic stages of growth. Many of other cochleosaurids from the same time period have an elongated vomer and wide and elongate choana. However, Chenoprosopus is distinguished by its more narrowly pointed snout and separation between the nasal from the maxilla by the broad lacrimal-septomaxilla contact.
The Chenoprosopus name means as “goose short face” based on Greek cheno as a goose and prosopus as a short face.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Chenoprosopus (revision 1356101686), 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: Q3754939.
