Proterosuchus
| Proterosuchus | ||||||||||||
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Proterosuchus fergusi |
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| Temporal occurrence | ||||||||||||
| Lower Triassic | ||||||||||||
| 251 to 245 million years | ||||||||||||
| Locations | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Proterosuchus | ||||||||||||
| Broom , 1903 |
Proterosuchus (formerly Chasmatosaurus ) is an extinct genus of diapsid reptiles from the early Lower Triassic . Fossils have been found in South Africa and China .
Proterosuchus is one of the oldest representatives of a group of archosauromorphs that used to be called " Thecodontier " . Its habitus resembles a modern crocodile , so that a similar way of life is assumed.
description
Proterosuchus was about two feet long and had strong limbs , which occurred almost horizontally from the fuselage, giving a broad, lizard-like transition ( Spreizgang had) result. There were 4 fingers on each leg with claws on them.
The pointed, mouth-curved teeth sat in flat tooth pockets . As a primitive characteristic, Proterosuchus had palatal teeth , which are no longer found in later "Thecodonti" animals.
literature
- Douglas Palmer: Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Animals. An illustrated encyclopedia. Könemann, Cologne 2000, ISBN 3-8290-6113-7 .
