Rhytidosteus fossil map
Where fossils of Rhytidosteus 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 | 251.902–247 million years ago |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Family | Rhytidosteidae |
| Named by | Owen 1884 |
| Fossil records | 3 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Russia, South Africa |
| Rock formations | Petropavlovka, txn:37110, Petropavlovskaya |
About Rhytidosteus
Rhytidosteus is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian from the Early Triassic of South Africa. Initially described by Sir Richard Owen in 1884, the type species Rhytidosteus capensis was compared to the known labyrinthodont Mastodonsaurus and determined to be a unique species.
Rhytidosteus uralensis originally published and described by Shishkin from the Orenberg region of Russia, has since been determined to be a junior synonym of R. capensis.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Rhytidosteus (revision 1348542962), 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: Q7322013.
