Cryptobranchoidea

The Cryptobranchoidea are a suborder of salamanders found in Asia, European Russia, and the United States. They are known as primitive salamanders, in contrast to Salamandroidea, the advanced salamanders. It has two living subdivisions, Cryptobranchidae, which includes Asian giant salamanders and hellbenders, and Hynobiidae, commonly known as Asian salamanders.

Cryptobranchoidea Temporal range: Middle Jurassic - PresentBathonian–Present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
Hynobius fossigenus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Urodela
Suborder:	Cryptobranchoidea Dunn, 1922
Subgroups
†Chunerpeton? †Jeholotriton †Pangerpeton †Nesovtriton? †Iridotriton? †Kiyatriton? †Laccotriton †Sinerpeton Cryptobranchidae Panhynobia Ji, Anderson & Gao, 2021 †Liaoxitriton †Linglongtriton †Neimengtriton †Regalerpeton †Nuominerpeton Hynobiidae

Some species of the fully aquatic family Cryptobranchidae are known as giant salamanders due to their large size.

The oldest members of the group are known from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) aged Yanliao Biota of China.

This suborder contains only two families at present. All other members are extinct and are only known as fossils.

• †Chunerpeton Haifanggou Formation, China, Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) (neotenic, has alternatively been recovered outside of Cryptobranchoidea)
• †Jeholotriton Haifanggou Formation, China, Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) (neotenic)
• †Pangerpeton Haifanggou Formation, China, Middle Jurassic (Bathonian)
• †Nesovtriton Bissekty Formation, Uzbekistan, Late Cretaceous (Turonian)
• †Iridotriton Morrison Formation, United States, Late Jurassic (Tithonian)
• †Kiyatriton Itat Formation, Russia, Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) Ilek Formation, Russia, Early Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) (Presumed to be a cryptobranchoid)
• †Laccotriton Fengshan fossil bed, China, Late Jurassic (Tithonian)
• †Sinerpeton Fengshan fossil bed, China, Late Jurassic (Tithonian)
• Cryptobranchidae (Late Cretaceous-Recent)
• Panhynobia
  • †Liaoxitriton Jiufotang Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
  • †Linglongtriton Tiaojishan Formation, China, Late Jurassic (Oxfordian)
  • †Neimengtriton Haifanggou Formation, China, Middle Jurassic (Bathonian)
  • †Regalerpeton Dabeigou Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian)
  • †Nuominerpeton Longjiang Formation, China, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
  • Hynobiidae (Miocene-Recent)