Eryops fossil map
Where fossils of Eryops 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 | 323.4–266.9 million years ago (Bashkirian to Roadian) |
| Periods | Carboniferous, Permian |
| Family | Eryopidae |
| Named by | Cope 1877 |
| Fossil records | 88 occurrences at 64 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Germany |
| Rock formations | Arroyo, Belle Plains, Waggoner Ranch, Admiral, Archer City, Putnam |
About Eryops
Eryops (; from Greek ἐρύειν, eryein, 'drawn-out' + ὤψ, ops, 'face', because most of its skull was in front of its eyes) is a genus of extinct, amphibious temnospondyls. It contains the type species Eryops megacephalus, the fossils of which are found mainly in early Permian deposits of the Texas Red Beds, and Eryops grandis from New Mexico. Fossils have also been found in late Carboniferous rocks from New Mexico and early Permian deposits of Oklahoma, Utah, the Pittsburgh tri-state region, and Prince Edward Island. Several complete skeletons of Eryops have been found in lower Permian rocks, but skull bones and teeth are its most common fossils.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Eryops (revision 1371900429), 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.
