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Proterosuchidae
Fossil range: Late Permian to Early Triassic
Chasmatosaurus BW
Chasmatosaurus, a derived proterosuchid.
Scientific classification

Class

Sauropsida

Subclass

Diapsida

Infraclass

Archosauromorpha

Order (Unranked)

Archosauriformes

Family

Proterosuchidae
von Huene, 1914

Genera

See Taxonomy section.



Proterosuchidae (or Chasmatosuchidae) are an early, possibly paraphyletic, assemblage of basal archosauriformes whose fossils are known from the Latest Permian of Russia and the Early Triassic of southern Africa, Russia, China, Australia, and Antarctica. They were slender, medium-sized (about 1.5 meters long), long-snouted and superficially crocodile-like animals, although they lack the armoured scutes of true crocodiles, and in their skeletal features are much more primitive. Their most characteristic feature is a distinct down-turning of the premaxilla (the front of the upper jaw, which overhangs the lower jaw). the limbs are short and indicate a sprawling posture, like contemporary lizards but unlike most later archosaurs.

The Proterosuchids represent perhaps the earliest adaptive radiation of the archosaurs. They gave rise to the Erythrosuchidae some time in the Early Triassic.

Taxonomy[]

Archosaurus ross1DB

Archosaurus rossicus, a Permian proterosuchid

References[]

  • Benton, M. J. (2000), Vertebrate Paleontology, 2nd Ed.; (2004) 3rd edition Blackwell Science Ltd
  • Carroll, R. L. (1988), Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution, WH Freeman & Co.

External links[]


Archosauromorphs
Primitive ArchosauromorphsEuparkeriidae • Erythrosuchidae • Proterochampsidae • Proterosuchidae • Choristodera • Prolacertiformes • Rhynchosauria • Trilophosauria

Crurotarsi ArchosaursOrnithosuchidae • Aetosauria • Phytosauria • Rauisuchia • Crocodylomorpha • Crocodilia

Avemetatarsalia and Ornithodira ArchosaursScleromochlus • Pterosauria • Dinosauromorpha • Dinosauria • Ornithischia • Saurischia • Aves

Avian ArchosaursAvialae • Archaeopteryx • Confuciusornis • Ichthyornis • Enantiornithes • Hesperornithes • Neornithes • Paleognathae • Neognathae
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