Diplocaulus fossil map
Where fossils of Diplocaulus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 275 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 275 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 | 307.4–254.14 million years ago (Moscovian to Wuchiapingian) |
| Periods | Carboniferous, Permian |
| Family | Diplocaulidae |
| Named by | Cope 1877 |
| Fossil records | 74 occurrences at 51 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Morocco |
| Rock formations | Vale, Arroyo, Wellington, Hennessey, Lueders, Choza |
About Diplocaulus
Diplocaulus (meaning "double stalk") is an extinct genus of lepospondyl amphibians which lived from the Late Carboniferous to the Late Permian of North America and Africa. Diplocaulus is by far the largest and best-known of the lepospondyls, characterized by a distinctive boomerang-shaped skull. Remains attributed to Diplocaulus have been found from the Late Permian of Morocco and represent the youngest-known occurrence of a lepospondyl.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Diplocaulus (revision 1371900143), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q131292.
