Pareiasaur

Live reconstruction of Scutosaurus

• Africa, Europe, Russia, China

The Pareiasauridae were early ( anapside ) reptiles. They lived from the Middle to Upper Permian first in what is now southern Africa and then spread to Europe and Asia. All the continents were joined together in the Permian supercontinent Pangaea. In their time they were the largest and heaviest land animals. The Pareiasauridae were the largest known mass extinction at the end of the Permian age.

The various genres of Pareiasauridae reached lengths of 60 centimeters ( Elginia ) up to 3 meters and in the large forms ( Scutosaurus and Pareiasaurus ), an estimated maximum weight of 600 kilograms. They had massive, plump body with stocky legs. The tail was short. The head and parts of the body, were probably for protection from predators provided with bony spikes and armor plates. Potential Fressfreinde were the gorgonopsians from the group of therapsids ( "early mammal relatives" ). The Pareiasauridae were herbivores, their teeth resemble those of herbivorous iguanas.

Until recently, some scientists were of the view that the turtles are still living Pareiasauridae today. The turtle shell is said to have evolved from the bone plates of the Pareiasauridae. Meanwhile, recent studies put the turtles in the vicinity of the living reptiles.

Genera

• Anthodon
• Arganaceras
• Bradysaurus
• Deltavjatia
• Elginia
• Embrithosaurus
• Nanopareia
• Nochelesaurus
• Pareiasaurus
• Pareiasuchus
• Scutosaurus
• Shihtienfenia
• Velosauria