Parotosuchus fossil map
Where fossils of Parotosuchus 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 | 250.8–241.464 million years ago |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Named by | Ochev and Shishkin 1968 |
| Fossil records | 26 occurrences at 25 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Russia, Poland, Germany, United States, Antarctica, Kazakhstan |
| Rock formations | Petropavlovskaya, Petropavlovka, txn:NF, Wióry, Volpriehausen, Moenkopi |
About Parotosuchus
Parotosuchus is an extinct genus of capitosaurian temnospondyls within the family Mastodonsauridae. Fossils are known from the Early Triassic of Europe, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. It was about 2 metres (6.6 ft) long and likely lived in aquatic environments such as lakes and rivers. Parotosuchus was covered in a scaly skin, unlike the smooth skin of modern-day amphibians, and probably moved with an eel-like motion in the water.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Parotosuchus (revision 1354833182), 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: Q2561965.
