Page 29 - Prehistoric Animals

Chil-I-Derp-Iton

Cheliderpeton

Cheliderpeton is an extinct genus of temnospondyl amphibian*. It lived in Europe in a peri-
od known as Early Permian around 260 million years ago. Its fossilised remains have been found
in Bohemia, the Czech Republic, and southwestern Germany. Its near oval shaped head had a
large mouth lined with very sharp teeth. Its overall body length was around 65cm, and was sup-
ported by very short legs.

It was first named in 1877 by Antonin Fritsch; ‘Chelidosaurus vranyi’. However, the generic
name ‘Chelidosaurus’ was changed to ‘Cheliderpeton’ in 1887. In 1993 J.A.Boy from Germany,
found and named what he thought was a new species of amphibian. After further study it was
discover it was of the Cheliderpeton genus and renamed; ‘C. latirostre’, making it and ‘C.vranyi’
the only two species of Cheliderpeton. However, another much larger version of the already
known ‘C. vranyi’ had been discovered by O. Kuhn back in 1939 who had misnamed it. It wasn’t
until present-day studies, that his mistake was discovered and it was renamed; C. vranyi,. Many
put this much larger version of ‘C. vranyi’ down to ontogeny (Changing gradually from a simple
to a more complex level).

The Cheliderpeton lived in freshwater rivers, lakes and murky marshes common to most of
Europe in the Early Permian. The size of its body and the structure of its head with its large
mouth and big teeth suggests it was an awesome predator and no-doubt top of the food chain in
its habitat
*A Group of amphibians that could possibly have evolved into more complexed creature even evolve into the modern amphibians
Images of a Cheliderpeton