Phytosauria

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Phytosauria
Reconstructed skeleton of Rutiodon carolinensis

Reconstructed skeleton of Rutiodon carolinensis

Temporal occurrence
Middle Triassic ( Ladinium ) to Upper Triassic
242 to 204 million years
Locations
Systematics
Sauropsida
Diapsida
Archosauromorpha
Archosauria
Crurotarsi
Phytosauria
Scientific name
Phytosauria
von Meyer , 1861

The Phytosauria (Phytosauridae, more rarely Parasuchia (Parasuchidae)) are an extinct group of predatory archosaurs from the Upper Triassic that lived in inland waters .

The fossil record of the Phytosauria begins in the Carnian and extends into the Norium . Fossil evidence, including the well-preserved skin bone elements ( osteoderms ), come primarily from the Central European Keuper and from the comparable sedimentary rocks of India and the North American southwest. Its scientific name, "Plant lizards" ( gr . Phyton "plant" sauros means "lizard"), they owe the original assumption Phytosaurier are herbivores have been had they actually fish or meat eaters . The body length of the phytosaurs was between two and twelve meters.

Physique and systematic classification

The animals were very similar to today's crocodiles in terms of their outward appearance ( habit ), their comparable semi-aquatic way of life and their size, and they can probably be placed in their closer relationship. But they do not belong to the line of the crocodiles and thus not to their ancestors; rather, the similarity is a consequence of convergent evolution . The most obvious difference from the crocodiles was the position of the nostrils on the skull, which were near the eyes and not at the front of the muzzle .

Due to their characteristic ankle joint , which is located between the tarsal bones of the ankle (astragalus) and heel bone (calcaneus), the phytosauria and some other archosauria groups with the crocodiles are grouped together to form the crurotarsi and contrasted with the ornithodira ( pterosaurs and dinosaurs including birds).

Genera and species

Live reconstruction of Paleorhinus cf. arenaceus from the Carnian of Poland

Numerous species of the Phytosauria have been found. Examples are Parasuchus hislopi from India, Mystriosuchus planirostris from Keuper in southern Germany or Rutiodon caroliensis and Angistorhinus from North America, all with an elongated, narrow snout (rostrum) that is similar to that of today's gharial and was optimized for fishing. In contrast, Nicrosaurus kapffi , also from the southern German Keuper, had a wide and long snout with a bone crest and large teeth , which suggests that this genus ate meat.

The following genera are scientifically described :

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Michelle R. Stocker, Li-Jun Zhao, Sterling J. Nesbitt, Xiao-Chun Wu, Chun Li. A Short-Snouted, Middle Triassic Phytosaur and its Implications for the Morphological Evolution and Biogeography of Phytosauria. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7: 46028 DOI: 10.1038 / srep46028

Web links

Commons : Phytosauria  - Collection of images, videos and audio files