Mesozoic and Cenozoic amphibians
Skull of Benthosuchus sushkini, an amphibian that lived 230 million years ago. This fossil originates from the Triassic rocks of the Scharzhenga River, Russia.
The fossil amphibian collection at the Natural History Museum includes important specimens from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. Read about the highlights.
Triassic material
Our type specimen of Paracyclotosaurus is the only example of a complete articulated skeleton of a capitosaur, one of the major groups of Triassic temnospondyl amphibians.
We also care for a number of significant specimens from the Triassic of Europe including:
- Benthosuchus sushkini from Russia
- the type specimen of Stenotosaurus semiclausus from Germany
- the type specimen of Procyclotosaurus stantonensis, the only complete amphibian skull from the Triassic of the British Isles.
Jurassic material
Microvertebrate amphibian specimens from Kirtlington, Oxfordshire, are the main Jurassic material in the collection and include:
- Eodiscoglossus oxoniensis, the earliest British fossil frog
- Marmorerpeton, the earliest British fossil salamander
Palaeogene material
The collection includes a considerable number of specimens of as yet undescribed Palaeogene amphibians from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
There are also fossil frogs and salamanders from the Brown coals of Germany, including the type specimen of Eopelobates anthracinus.
Pleistocene material
There is a large quantity of Pleistocene frog material, primarily from Igtham in Kent, but also from other British Pleistocene localities.