Platyhystrix fossil map
Where fossils of Platyhystrix 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 | 303.7–283.3 million years ago (Gzhelian to Artinskian) |
| Periods | Carboniferous, Permian |
| Family | Dissorophidae |
| Named by | Williston 1911 |
| Fossil records | 16 occurrences at 14 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Cutler, El Cobre Canyon, Abo, Abo/Cutler, Petrolia, Belle Plains |
About Platyhystrix
Platyhystrix (from Greek: πλατύς platús, 'flat' and Greek: ῠ̔́στρῐξ hústrix, 'porcupine') is an extinct temnospondyl amphibian with a distinctive sail along its back, similar to the unrelated synapsids, Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus. It lived during the boundary between the latest Carboniferous and earliest Permian periods throughout what is now known as the Four Corners, Texas, and Kansas about 300 million years ago.
Not much is known about Platyhystrix, with a majority of the fossils found composed of the distinct neural spines, and fractured skull fragments. There is only one species within the genus, Platyhystrix rugosus. Its phylogenetic relationships to other members of the family Dissorophidae have been debated in recent years, due to its unique cranial features, and recent discoveries as to the origins of modern day lissamphibians. Synonyms and alternate spellings include: Zatrachys apicalis, Ctenosaurus rugosus, Platyhystryx, Platyhistryx.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Platyhystrix (revision 1371900530), 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: Q135586.
