Ichthyostega fossil map
Where fossils of Ichthyostega have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 360 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 360 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 | 372.15–358.86 million years ago (Famennian) |
| Periods | Devonian |
| Family | Ichthyostegidae |
| Named by | Säve-Söderbergh 1932 |
| Fossil records | 6 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Greenland, Belgium |
| Rock formations | txn:36964, Britta Dal, Evieux |
About Ichthyostega
Ichthyostega, from Ancient Greek ἰχθύς (ikthús), meaning "fish", and στέγη (stégē), meaning "roof", is an extinct genus of limbed tetrapodomorphs from the Late Devonian of what is now Greenland. It was among the earliest four-limbed vertebrates ever in the fossil record and was one of the first with weight-bearing adaptations for terrestrial locomotion. Ichthyostega possessed lungs and limbs that helped it navigate through shallow water in swamps. Although Ichthyostega is often labelled a 'tetrapod' because of its limbs and fingers, it evolved long before true crown group tetrapods and could more accurately be referred to as a stegocephalian or stem tetrapod. Likewise, while undoubtedly of amphibian build and habit, it is not a true member of the group in the narrow sense, as the first modern amphibians (members of the group Lissamphibia) appeared in the Triassic Period. Until finds of other early stegocephalians and closely related fishes in the late 20th century, Ichthyostega stood alone as a transitional fossil between fish and tetrapods, combining fish and tetrapod features. Newer research has shown that it had an unusual anatomy, functioning more akin to a seal than a salamander, as previously assumed.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Ichthyostega (revision 1369842412), 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.
