Megalophthalma fossil map
Where fossils of Megalophthalma have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 230 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 230 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 | 239.48–237 million years ago (Ladinian) |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Family | Plagiosauridae |
| Named by | Schoch et al. 2014 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Germany |
| Rock formations | Erfurt |
About Megalophthalma
Megalophthalma (meaning "large eye" from the Greek megale ["large"] and ophthalmós ["eye"]) is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian belonging to the family Plagiosauridae. It is represented by the single type species Megalophthalma ockerti from the Middle Triassic Erfurt Formation in southern Germany, which is itself based on a single partial skull and a fragment of the lower jaw. Megalophthalma is distinguished from other temnospondyls by its very large orbits or eye sockets, which occupy most of the skull and are bordered by thin struts of bone. Like those of most plagiosaurids, the skull flat, wide, and roughly triangular. The orbits are pentagon-shaped. The bones at the back of the skull (the occiput) are highly modified and show similarities with those of the plagiosaurid Plagiosternum. Both Megalophthalma and Plagiosternum lack prefrontal and postfrontal bones. In fact, Megalophthalma and Plagiosternum are thought to form their own clade or evolutionary grouping within Plagiosauridae called Plagiosterninae. In overall form Megalophthalma and Plagiosternum are intermediate between the basal plagiosaurid Plagiosuchus (which more closely resembles non-plagiosaurid temnospondyls) and the derived Gerrothorax (which has an even more highly modified skull than plagiosternines).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Megalophthalma (revision 1354877981), 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: Q16985278.
