''Spondylerpeton'' is an extinct genus of tetrapod closely related to "''

Cricotus ''Cricotus'' is an extinct genus of Embolomeri. It was erected by Cope in 1875, on the basis of fragmentary, not clearly associated remains including caudal vertebrae, on which the name was established (in fact, based on a single intercentr ...

''" ('' Archeria'') in the family

Archeriidae Archeriidae is a family of embolomeres that lived in the Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (My ...

. This genus is known from fragmentary remains, namely a short series of tail vertebrae preserved in an ironstone nodule. These remains were found in the Mazon Creek beds of Illinois, an area famed for its preservation of

Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carbonifero ...

plants and animals. ''Spondylerpeton'' individuals were probably about three to four feet in length, by far the largest animals known to have inhabited the Mazon Creek area during this era.

References

Embolomeres Carboniferous tetrapods of North America Paleozoic Illinois {{carboniferous-animal-stub