Sauropleura fossil map
Where fossils of Sauropleura 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 | 309.8–286 million years ago (Moscovian to Artinskian) |
| Periods | Carboniferous, Permian |
| Family | Urocordylidae |
| Named by | Cope 1868 |
| Fossil records | 6 occurrences at 5 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Czech Republic, United States |
| Rock formations | Kladno, Archer City, Lower Rotliegendes, Vrchlabí, Vrchlabi |
About Sauropleura
Sauropleura (meaning "lizard side") is an extinct genus of urocordylid tetrapod and the namesake of the subfamily Sauropleurinae. Its fossils are known from the Late Carboniferous of Ohio and the Czech Republic, and the Early Permian of Texas. Like other urocordylids, Sauropleura was an aquatic newt-like animal with a long body, small limbs, and a deep tail. It has a slender, tapering snout, and a particularly long tail with over 60 caudal vertebrae. Sauropleura scalaris is the first urocordylid with direct evidence of a lateral line, based on pits and grooves on its lower jaw.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Sauropleura (revision 1380763670), 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: Q7427580.
