Procolophon

Live reconstruction of Procolophon trigoniceps

• Brazil
• South Africa
• Antarctic

Procolophon is an extinct reptile from the Lower Triassic, which belonged to the Procolophonidae. Fossils of the genus have been found in the deposits of the Beaufort Group of South Africa, Brazil and near the Shackleton Glacier in the Transantarctic Mountains. There are numerous types have been described, are no longer partially valid today. Type species is Procolophon trigoniceps, type specimen is BMNH R1726, consisting of a skull and a three-dimensionally preserved body fossil. The type locality of the species is in Donnybrook, South Africa Queenstown District.

Features

Procolophon was a small, lizard- like reptile, reaching thirty to forty centimeters body length. His skull was broad and triangular, the eye sockets very large and elongated, the nostrils were almost at the front end of the snout. The jaw adductor put on the back edge of the eye sockets.

On the premaxillary bone ( premaxilla ) were four, on the upper jaw bone ( maxilla ) seven teeth per pine bough. Of the latter there were five or six laterally widened and chisel-shaped, just like the nine teeth on each ramus. Procolophon fed on either of plants ( herbivory ) and / or hard-shelled invertebrates ( Durophagie ).

The hull was compact, the legs were strong and short, broad feet and probably suitable for digging. The tail was short.