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Hello, now that I have time, I decided to create a small guide on how to recognize fake, painted and carved amphibians from the permian of europe. In this guide, you'll find examples of fake or heavily restored, or painted amphibians compared to real ones, and you will also learn some of the most common red flags on them. I hope you like it and that it will help many people not falling into amphibian traps ! Enjoy ! 1.0 Apateon pedestris (Credits: online auction site) This was done in the same way as your toddlers' paintings on the fridge (if you have a fridge or a toddler). The "bones" are probably drawn with a pencil and the preservation of the skin shadows is nothing more than some clear paint. If you look closely, no bones are evident. Here are some good examples, the first being from my collection. Now compare this to the previous one. Horrible! 1.1 1.2 Example of a perfect skull. See the difference? (Credits: Thomas Billert, Steinkern.de) Heres an example of a sideway skin shadow. Skin shadows should always follow the bones whith a bit of distance, and should feel stony and look not like clear paint. 1.3 (Credit: online auction site) 1.4 Perfect skin shadow, sligthly preserved (Credit: online auction site) 1.5 How a skeleton of Apateon should look like (Credit: Jürgen A. Boy) 2.0 Sclerocephalus haeuseri (Credits: @Amontano) That's partially real, but not, not, not much of it. The paper shale it was found in is not known for creating great skin shadows and preserving bones and limbs. That's why many amphibian fossils found in it look the same. To make it look like if they still have all their skin, bones and limbs, in most cases they are painted or, for 3D preservation, reconstructed with modeling clay and then painted to match the overall look. 2.1 Here is an example of a completely real and well prepared example. Compare this with the other one. Big difference, isn't it? (Credits: @Vertebrate) 2.2 How a skeleton of Sclerocephalus haeuseri should look like (Credit: Alamy.com) 3.0 Branchiosaurus petrolei (Credits: online auction site) These ones from france are mostly real, but youve probably guessed it: fake limbs and skin shadows ! They look like stick figures ! These were also painted whith clear paint, and sadly, they cover most of the remaining bone structure. Heres an example of another painted one, which i thougth looked to funny to omit. Three back legs ! Two real and great preserved, one fake painted stick. The head on this was also heavily painted and is non definable. 3.1 (Credits:online auction site) And here is an example of a 100% real one from my collection. You can see the completly different head shape, the toe bones on this are not preserved, but i think, you can spot the difference. This above could also be called "how to ruin a great fossil whith paint". 3.2 Example of a real one from my collection. 4.0 Discosauriscus pulcherrimus (Credits: @RobFallen) Well, this migth be a complete drawing on rock. If you look closely, you can see that the bone bend whith the rock, and its also very suspicious that the left foot is bend in, and not broken off. You can quoestion yourself, what was first: the rock, or the amphibian ? But this is a tricky and relativly good fake, many ones out there. 4.1 (Credits: online auction site) This is an example of a 100% real and 3d preserved one, really expensive. So you can compare them again, and you'll notice a difference again, mostly in the skulls. 5.0 All points and red flags together for all amphibians, also that were not featured in this guide 5.1 Skin shadows, if they dont match the overall look, shape or look painted, theyre in most cases really just painted whith some clear paint. 5.2 Bones, if most of them in one specimen dont match the shape they should be, or are dark and bend whith the rock, or not 3d, theyre mostly pencil drawings. 5.3 Skulls, if they look suspicious, google the species you're looking for and compare the results to the skull. If they look completly different and the one you think looks suspicious lacks in detail like jaw, teeth, or many bones are wrong, better run ! 5.3 Vertebras, in some specimen, the vertebrates are carved or reconstructed whith modelling clay. Carved ones are mostly circular or a square, and lack in structure and connection to the other ones. There are big, unnatural gaps in between them. The reconstructed ones are more tricky, but rarer to find. To recognize them, you should check the connection to the stone, or the other vertebras. Something looks wrong, better stay away ! 5.4 Toes, if they're missing, they're mostly just painted. You can recognize them by a different color, shine, the toe bones missing, and also that they're bending whith the rock. 5.5 Ribs, if they're straigth and not bend, thats mostly a red flag. Or if theyre bending whith the rock, better be carefull. 5.6, no red flag, but if you think theres something wrong about the specimen you want to buy, just wait, use that guide, or do the research yourself. Many fake amphibians are easy to recognize, even if you're not that experienced, and if you're unsure, just post it in the Forum, we have so many very experienced members here, they'll help further ! Have i something missed that i should mention or have you extra wishes ? Could ive done something better or should correct something ? Let me know !

Hello, i wanted to ask If there are any guides for amphibians (from the rotliegend) on the Forum ? If not, i want to try to make one. What do you think about my Idea?

Hello guys , I just wanted to share some pictures of my amphibian fossils with you, and also want to see what amphibian fossils forum users have in their collections 😊 . What do you think about them ? ( Branchiosaurus petrolei and Apateon pedestris are the species ) Sorry if the photos are in the wrong order, there are in total 7 individual specimen .

Hello everyone, I'm interested in buying this fossil salamander. It is offered as an 'Apateon dracyiensis' found in Autun, France. Is the location possible for this find? And is it possible to narrow the id to 'dracyiensis' or is it best to keep it just as a general 'pedestris'? Size is pretty small, 6 cm at most. I like the piece but... what is it? Thanx for any advice! J

I have three specimens of Apateon fossils in my collection. They are all from the Niederhausen region in Germany. Two of them are supposed to be Apateon pedestris, the third (the litlle fat one) is a Branchiosaurus Petrolei. But, Petrolei is an obsolete name and identical to pedestris, am I correct? Thanx for any feedback.

Hello everyone, I have been looking to do a bit of practice drawing and I thought why don't I try to reconstruct an animal from my fossil collection, I decided Apateon pedestrian should be fairly simple so I went with that. So far I have looked over different fossils and skeletal diagrams and tried to compare them to modern amphibians. One thing from my research that has been very inconclusive though is the skin pattern and texture of the animal. One source states that they had a regular mosaic pattern of scales which is possible considering other temnospondyls but when looking into it more the only thing I could find is another branchiosaurid, Melanerpeton which was found with a pattern on its skin although here it said nothing about scales. Does anyone know where I could find out about what they really did look like, or should I just base it off of what we know about the other branchiosaurid?

Hello everybody, for years, I have an exhibit in my collection that I suspect is a large branchiosaur or apateon. In the attached photos of 2 wonderful finds( 2 times a lucky hit !!) from Apateon from the same fund layer one recognizes the difference in size clearly, on the back of the dolomitized lime clay stone is a skull fragment, the tip of a micromelerpeton .... also this individual was of the skull proportions smaller than "the Unknown". What then could this fossil be? -a new kind, perhaps? Unfortunately I know of A. caducus no originals or reference photos. The guy looks just like a normal Apateon pedestris but is as big as a Micromelerpeton credneri ... ??? Who has an idea or perhaps knows this amphib? I look forward to your answers - thanks Description: Location: Kalkbank von Callbach Permo-Carboniferous Underperm 290 million years Meisenheim Formation Odernheimer subformation Length of skull - pelvis 7 cm Length of tail 4 cm available ....

here are some of my small amphibian individuals called Apateon or Branchiosaurus. They had been found in Rhineland- Pallatinate, Germany, when the digging was allowed. All specimen had been found before 1986 in different locations but all are permian age: 280 - 270 Mio years

Some impressions from my private collection of permian fossils, some of them I digged myself, some I changed with other collectors, most of them I prepared myself the permian fossils had been found in Germany, Rhineland - Pallatinate niederkirchen , pdernheim and other locations

Hey all, Any guesses on the ID's of these little amphibians? I know they're almost universally labeled as species of Apateon, but curious if any experts knew if it might be something else like Branchiosaurus, etc.