It is distinguished from other temnospondyls by its short and very wide skull and the elongated neural spines that form a ridge along its back.

German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene studied the remains and named the new genus and species Sclerothorax hypselonotus in 1932.

The holotype specimen preserved only the vertebral column, but was identifiable as a temnospondyl by its rhachitomous vertebrae and as a new species by its tall neural spines.

Huene's second specimen included a complete skull, pectoral girdle, and back portion of the dorsal vertebral column that was also clearly a temnospondyl.

[1] Huene originally classified Sclerothorax within the family Actinodontidae as a close relative of Sclerocephalus, another genus of temnospondyl from Germany that has a similarly broad skull.