Cryptobranchoidea

Cryptobranchoidea Temporal range: Late Jurassic - Present,[1] 160–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Urodela
Suborder:	Cryptobranchoidea
Subgroups
†Chunerpeton †Iridotriton †Liaoxitriton †Nesovtriton †Pangerpeton †Regalerpeton Cryptobranchidae Hynobiidae

The Cryptobranchoidea are a suborder of salamanders found in the eastern United States, China, Taiwan, and Japan. They are known as primitive salamanders, in contrast to Salamandroidea, or advanced salamanders.^[2]

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

Description

This suborder contains only two families at present. Other families became extinct in the past and are only known as fossils.

• Cryptobranchidae
• Hynobiidae

References

1. Anderson, J. S. (2012). "Fossils, molecules, divergence times, and the origin of Salamandroidea". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109 (15): 5557. doi:10.1073/pnas.1202491109.
2. Heying, Heather. "ADW:Family Cryptobranchidae: giant salamanders and hellbenders".