Erythrobatrachus fossil map
Where fossils of Erythrobatrachus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 252 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 252 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 | 251.902–247 million years ago |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Family | Trematosauridae |
| Named by | Cosgriff and Garbutt 1972 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Australia |
| Rock formations | Blina Shale |
About Erythrobatrachus
Erythrobatrachus is an extinct genus of trematosaurian temnospondyl within the family Trematosauridae. The sole species Erythrobatrachus noonkanbahensis was separated to a monotypic genus, distinguishing it from related taxa when the description was published in 1972. The type material was a matrix cast revealing the impression of several fragments of skull excavated at the Blina Shale formation in the northwest of the Australian continent. The genus name is derived from ancient Greek, combining terms for red, erythro, with frog, batrachos, to describe the iron staining of the fossilised amphibian specimens. The type location described by the specific epithet was Noonkanbah Station.
A 2026 study showed that one of the specimens originally assigned to Erythrobatrachus actually belonged to another temnospondyl, Aphaneramma. This specimen was presumed lost until it was recovered in a museum collection in Berkeley, USA.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Erythrobatrachus (revision 1354842948), 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: Q5396442.
