Phytosaur facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phytosaurs Temporal range: Upper Triassic 228 to 199.6 mya
Skull of Pseudopalatus mccauleyi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Saurischia
Subclass:	Crurotarsi
Order:	Phytosauria
Synonyms
Parasuchia Huxley, 1875

Phytosaur skull

Phytosaurs are an extinct group of large semi-aquatic Upper Triassic archosaurs.

Phytosaurs were long-snouted and heavily armoured, bearing a remarkable resemblance to modern crocodiles in size, appearance, and lifestyle. This is an example of convergence or parallel evolution. The name 'phytosaur' means 'plant reptile': the first fossils of phytosaurs were mistakenly thought to belong to plant eaters. The sharp teeth in phytosaur jaws clearly show they were predators.

Although phytosaurs were not true crocodilians themselves, they were more closely related to the crocodilians than to other modern reptiles. Crocodiles did not become phytosaur-like until the Lower Jurassic. "Consensus generally places phytosaurs as basal crurotarsans, possibly the basal-most group".

Phytosaurs had a nearly global distribution. Fossils have been recovered from Europe, North America, India, Morocco, Thailand, Brazil and Madagascar.

Classification

Genera

Genus	Status	Age	Location	Unit	Notes	Images
Angistorhinopsis	Junior synonym				Junior synonym of Nicrosaurus
Angistorhinus	Valid	Late Carnian	Morocco  US	Argana Formation Dockum Group Popo Agie Formation
Arganarhinus	Valid	Middle Carnian	Morocco	Argana Formation
Arribasuchus	Junior synonym				Junior synonym of Machaeroprosopus
Belodon	Nomen dubium	Middle Norian	Germany  US	Stubensandstein Chinle Formation	Many remains have since been attributed to other animals or given their own genera
Brachysuchus	Valid	Carnian	US	"Pre-Tecovas Horizon" (Dockum Group)
Centemodon	Nomen dubium	Norian	US	Cumnock Formation	Named from several teeth in 1856
Coburgosuchus	Valid	Norian	Germany
?Diandongosuchus	Valid	Ladinian	China	Falang Formation	Possible basalmost taxon.
Ebrachosuchus	Valid	Late Carnian	Germany	Hassberge Formation
Francosuchus	Nomen dubium	Late Carnian	Germany	Hassberge Formation
Leptosuchus	Valid	Carnian	US	Tecovas Formation and unknown formation (Dockum Group)
Machaeroprosopus	Valid	Carnian-Norian	US	Chinle Formation Dockum Group
Mesorhinosuchus	? Valid	Triassic, ? early Olenekian	Germany	? Middle Buntsandstein
Mystriosuchus	Valid	Middle Norian	Germany	Stubensandstein
Nicrosaurus	Valid	Late Norian - Rhaetian	France  Germany	Arnstadt Formation Upper Keuper
"Paleorhinus"	Junior synonym	Late Carnian	Germany  Poland  US	Hassberge Formation Middle Keuper Cooper Canyon Formation Popo Agie Formation Tecovas Formation	Polyphyletic.
Parasuchus	Valid	Late Carnian - Early Norian	India	Lower Maleri Formation Tiki Formation
Pravusuchus	Valid	Norian	US	Chinle Formation
Promystriosuchus	Valid
Protome	Valid	Norian	US	Chinle Formation
Pseudopalatus	Junior synonym				Junior synonym of Machaeroprosopus
Redondasaurus	Valid	Norian - Rhaetian	US	Redonda Formation Travesser Formation
Rutiodon	Valid	Carnian	US	Newark Supergroup
Smilosuchus	Valid	Carnian	US	Chinle Formation
Wannia	Valid	Carnian-Norian	US	Camp Springs Formation

Images for kids

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  Illustration of two Smilosuchus species, illustrating brachyrostral and dolichorostral snout types

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  Smilosuchus gregorii

See also

In Spanish: Phytosauridae para niños