''Pseudophlegethontia'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of aïstopod stegocephalians. It is the only member of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Pseudophlegethontiidae. The only species is the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...

''P. turnbullorum'', named in 2003. Fossils of ''Pseudophlegethontia'' have been found from the

Mazon Creek fossil beds The Mazon Creek fossil beds are a conservation ' found near Morris, in Grundy County, Illinois. The fossils are preserved in ironstone concretions, formed approximately in the mid- Pennsylvanian epoch of the Carboniferous period. These concret ...

Grundy County, Illinois Grundy County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 50,063. Its county seat is Morris. Grundy County is part of the Chicago-Naperville- Elgin, IL- IN- WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

, a '' conservation lagerstätte'' well known for the exceptional preservation of middle Pennsylvanian taxa. ''Pseudophlegethontia'' has been considered to be morphologically intermediate between

derived Derive may refer to: * Derive (computer algebra system), a commercial system made by Texas Instruments * ''Dérive'' (magazine), an Austrian science magazine on urbanism *Dérive, a psychogeographical concept See also * *Derivation (disambiguatio ...

phlegethontiids and more basal "ophiderpetontids" such as '' Ophiderpeton''. It possesses basal characters such as a relatively short body, "k shaped" ribs, and distinctive skull roof bones while also possessing several more derived features such as a pointed snout, thin

gastralia Gastralia (singular gastralium) are dermal bones found in the ventral body wall of modern crocodilians and tuatara, and many prehistoric tetrapods. They are found between the sternum and pelvis, and do not articulate with the vertebrae. In thes ...

, and a lack of dorsal

osteoderm Osteoderms are bony deposits forming scales, plates, or other structures based in the dermis. Osteoderms are found in many groups of extant and extinct reptiles and amphibians, including lizards, crocodilians, frogs, temnospondyls (extinc ...

s. It is usually, but not unanimously, placed as the

sister taxon In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...

to phlegethontiids, represented by ''Phlegethontia''.

References

Aistopods Carboniferous amphibians of North America Carboniferous amphibians {{paleo-amphibian-stub