Paleorhinus
Encyclopedia
Paleorhinus was a genus
of small phytosaur
, a large order
of semi-aquatic, crocodile-like animals that lived in the Late Triassic
, specifically the earlier Late Carnian
period. The reptiles lived throughout Europe, North America, and North Africa. This genus usually also includes the more appropriately named Parasuchus, which lived in India.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of small phytosaur
Phytosaur
Phytosaurs are an extinct group of large semi-aquatic Late Triassic archosaurs. Phytosaurs belong to the family Phytosauridae and the order Phytosauria. They were long-snouted and heavily armoured, bearing a remarkable resemblance to modern crocodiles in size, appearance, and lifestyle, an example...
, a large order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
of semi-aquatic, crocodile-like animals that lived in the Late Triassic
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is in the geologic timescale the third and final of three epochs of the Triassic period. The corresponding series is known as the Upper Triassic. In the past it was sometimes called the Keuper, after a German lithostratigraphic group that has a roughly corresponding age...
, specifically the earlier Late Carnian
Carnian
The Carnian is the lowermost stage of the Upper Triassic series . It lasted from about 228.7 till 216.5 million years ago . The Carnian is preceded by the Ladinian and is followed by the Norian...
period. The reptiles lived throughout Europe, North America, and North Africa. This genus usually also includes the more appropriately named Parasuchus, which lived in India.