Phytosaur

Phytosaurs are an extinct group of large semi-aquatic Upper Triassic archosaurs.

Phytosaurs Temporal range: ?Ladinian - Rhaetian, 242–199.6 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skull of Machaeroprosopus mccauleyi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Archosauriformes
Clade:	Crurotarsi von Meyer, 1861
Order:	†Phytosauria Jaeger, 1828
Genera
†Centemodon? †Diandongosuchus †Mesorhinosuchus †Omosaurus? †Parasuchidae Incertae sedis †Belodon †Compsosaurus †Termatosaurus †Francosuchus? †Phytosaurus
Synonyms
Parasuchia Huxley, 1875

Phytosaur skull

Phytosaurs were long-snouted and heavily armoured, bearing a remarkable resemblance to modern crocodiles in size, appearance, and lifestyle. This is an example of convergence or parallel evolution. The name 'phytosaur' means 'plant reptile': the first fossils of phytosaurs were mistakenly thought to belong to plant eaters. The sharp teeth in phytosaur jaws clearly show they were predators.

Although phytosaurs were not true crocodilians themselves, they were more closely related to the crocodilians than to other modern reptiles. Crocodiles did not become phytosaur-like until the Lower Jurassic. "Consensus generally places phytosaurs as basal crurotarsans, possibly the basal-most group".

Phytosaurs had a nearly global distribution. Fossils have been recovered from Europe, North America, India, Morocco, Thailand, Brazil and Madagascar.