Phlegethontia fossil map
Where fossils of Phlegethontia have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 300 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 300 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 | 318.7–274.4 million years ago (Bashkirian to Kungurian) |
| Periods | Carboniferous, Permian |
| Family | Phlegethontiidae |
| Named by | Cope 1871 |
| Fossil records | 13 occurrences at 9 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Czech Republic, France |
| Rock formations | txn:37257, Lueders, Kladno, Carbondale, Black Prince Limestone, Sangre de Cristo |
About Phlegethontia
Phlegethontia is an extinct genus of aïstopod tetrapodomorphs from the Carboniferous and Permian periods of Europe and North America.
It was about 1 metre (3.3 ft) long, and possessed a lightly built skull with many openings, unlike some of its earlier relatives.
"Dolichosoma" longissima, named by Antonin Fritsch in 1875, has been reassigned to the genus Phlegethontia and is now considered to be P. longissima. "Dolichosoma" has been considered to be a nomen nudum because the holotype was inadequately described through a layer of matrix by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1867.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Phlegethontia (revision 1355872750), 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: Q21446328.
