Phytosaurus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Phytosaurus | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Infraclass: | Archosauromorpha |
| (unranked): | Crurotarsi |
| Order: | Phytosauria |
| Family: | Phytosauridae |
| Genus: | Phytosaurus Jaeger, 1828 |
| Species | |
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Phytosaurus is a dubious[citation needed] genus of phytosaur (an extinct group of superficially crocodile-like archosaurs),[1] and also the first phytosaur to be described, by G. Jaeger in 1828. It had a crocodile-like body structure, but its nostrils were on its forehead, not the tip of its snout. The name Phytosaurus means "plant lizard" (though it is now known to have been a carnivore), and the type species is P. cylindricodon.
[edit] References
- ^ Lydekker, Richard. Catalogue of the Fossil Reptilia and Amphibia in the British Museum (Natural History). Part 1. Containing the Orders Ornithosauria, Crocodilia, Dinosauria, Squamata, Rhynchocephalia, and Proterosauria. Elibron.com. p. 124. ISBN 0543956547. http://books.google.com/books?id=8wF_tAYCQf0C&pg=PA124&dq=Phytosaurus&hl=en&ei=WMy-TdjqNo3rgQeR2LXTBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Phytosaurus&f=false.
