Phytosaur

Live reconstruction of Paleorhinus arenaceus

• North America ( Chinle Formation)
• Europe
• India

The Phytosauria ( Phytosauridae, rare Parasuchia ( Parasuchidae ) ) are an extinct group of predatory archosaurs from the Late Triassic who lived in inland waters.

The fossil record of Phytosauria uses in the Carnian and extends into the Norian. Fossil evidence, including the good conservation enabled skin bone elements ( osteoderms ), coming mainly from the Central European Keuper and from the comparable sedimentary rocks of India and the North American Southwest. Its scientific name means " plant lizard " (Greek phyton "plant" sauros " lizard" ), they owe the original assumption Phytosaurier were herbivores, in fact they were fish or meat eaters. The body length of Phytosaurier was between two and twelve meters.

Build and systematic classification

The animals were on their outward appearance ( habit ), the comparable semi-aquatic lifestyle and the size is very similar to today's crocodiles and can probably be found in their close relationship. But it is not in the main line of the crocodiles and thus not to their ancestors; the resemblance is rather a consequence of convergent evolution. The most obvious difference to the crocodiles was the position of the nostrils on the skull, which lay near the eyes and not at the front end of the snout.

Due to their characteristic ankle located between the tarsal bones talus ( astragalus ) and calcaneus ( calcaneus ) is that Phytosauria and some other Archosauria groups with the crocodiles are combined to form the Crurotarsi and compared with the Ornithodira ( pterosaurs and dinosaurs including birds).

Genera and species

Of the Phytosauria numerous species were found. Examples include Parasuchus hislopi from India, Mystriosuchus planirostris from southern Germany Keuper or Rutiodon caroliensis and Angistorhinus from North America, all with an elongated, narrow snout ( rostrum ), which resembles that of the today's Gangesgavials and was optimized for fishing. In contrast, had kapffi Nicrosaurus, also from the South German Keuper, a broad and long snout with large teeth and bone crest, suggesting that this type of meat fed.

The following genera are scientifically described:

• Parasuchus
• Centemodon?
• Paleorhinus
• Angistorhinus
• Brachysuchus
• Smilosuchus
• Leptosuchus
• Rutiodon
• Nicrosaurus
• Belodon?
• Pseudopalatus
• Redondasaurus
• Angistorhinopsis
• Mystriosuchus