Rhineceps fossil map
Where fossils of Rhineceps 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 | 259.857–251.902 million years ago |
| Periods | Permian |
| Family | Rhinesuchidae |
| Named by | Watson 1962 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Malawi, Zambia |
| Rock formations | Chiweta Beds, Madumabisa Mudstone |
About Rhineceps
Rhineceps is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian in the family Rhinesuchidae. Rhineceps was found in Northern Malawi (formerly Nyasaland) and Zambia in Southern Africa known from its type species R. nyasaensis and R. karibaensis. Rhineceps was a late Permian (256-258 Mya) semi-aquatic carnivore that lived in streams, rivers, lakes or lagoons. Rhineceps is an early divergent Stereopondyl within the family Rhinesuchidae, which only existed in the late Permian (Lopingian) and failed to survive the Permian-Triassic extinction unlike other stereospondyl families.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Rhineceps (revision 1369643578), 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: Q7320560.
