Procolophonoidea
Encyclopedia
Procolophonoidea is an extinct superfamily
of procolophonia
n parareptiles. Members were characteristically small, stocky, and lizard
-like in appearance. Fossil
s have been found worldwide from many continents including Antarctica. The first members appeared during the Late Permian in the Karoo Basin
of South Africa
.
and Procolophonidae. Sclerosaurus
, which is placed within its own family Sclerosauridae, may be a member of the superfamily as well.
When the superfamily was constructed in 1956, it was thought to be within the anthracosaur
suborder Diadectomorpha
. Since then it has been placed within the suborder Procolophonia along with the pareiasaur
s, a group of large herbivorous Permian parareptiles.
Cisneros et al. 2004
Modesto et al. 2001
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
of procolophonia
Procolophonia
The Procolophonia are a suborder of herbivorous reptiles that lived from the Middle Permian till the end of the Triassic period. They were originally included as a suborder of the Cotylosauria but are now considered a clade of Parareptilia...
n parareptiles. Members were characteristically small, stocky, and lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
-like in appearance. Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s have been found worldwide from many continents including Antarctica. The first members appeared during the Late Permian in the Karoo Basin
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Taxonomy
Procolophonoidea includes the families OwenettidaeOwenettidae
Owenettidae is an extinct family of procolophonian parareptiles. Fossils have been found primarily from Africa and Madagascar, with one genus present from South America. It is the sister taxon to the family Procolophonidae....
and Procolophonidae. Sclerosaurus
Sclerosaurus
Sclerosaurus is an extinct genus of sauropsid....
, which is placed within its own family Sclerosauridae, may be a member of the superfamily as well.
When the superfamily was constructed in 1956, it was thought to be within the anthracosaur
Anthracosauria
Anthracosauria is an order of extinct reptile-like amphibians that flourished during the Carboniferous and early Permian periods, although precisely which species are included depends on one's definition of the taxon.-Various definitions:...
suborder Diadectomorpha
Diadectomorpha
Diadectomorpha are a clade of large reptile-like amphibians that lived in Euramerica during the Carboniferous and Early Permian periods, and are very close to the ancestry of the Amniota. They include both large carnivorous and even larger herbivorous forms, some semi-aquatic and others fully...
. Since then it has been placed within the suborder Procolophonia along with the pareiasaur
Pareiasaur
The Pareiasaurs - Family Pareiasauridae - are a clade of medium-sized to large herbivorous anapsid reptiles that flourished during the Permian period....
s, a group of large herbivorous Permian parareptiles.
- ProcolophoniaProcolophoniaThe Procolophonia are a suborder of herbivorous reptiles that lived from the Middle Permian till the end of the Triassic period. They were originally included as a suborder of the Cotylosauria but are now considered a clade of Parareptilia...
- PROCOLOPHONOIDEA
- Family OwenettidaeOwenettidaeOwenettidae is an extinct family of procolophonian parareptiles. Fossils have been found primarily from Africa and Madagascar, with one genus present from South America. It is the sister taxon to the family Procolophonidae....
- Genus Barasaurus
- Genus OwenettaOwenettaOwenetta is an extinct genus of basal procolophonian parareptile. Fossils have been found from the Beaufort Group in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. Although most procolophonians lived during the Triassic, Owenetta existed during the Wuchiapingian and Changhsingian stages of the Late Permian as...
- Genus Saurodectes
- Species "Owenetta" kitchingorumOwenettaOwenetta is an extinct genus of basal procolophonian parareptile. Fossils have been found from the Beaufort Group in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. Although most procolophonians lived during the Triassic, Owenetta existed during the Wuchiapingian and Changhsingian stages of the Late Permian as...
- Genus Candelaria
- Genus ColettaColetta (genus)Coletta is an extinct genus of basal procolophonid parareptile from Early Triassic deposits of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It is known from the holotype GHG 228, skull with fragmentary lower jaws. It was collected on the farm Brakfontein 333 in the Cradock District...
- Genus SauropareionSauropareionSauropareion is an extinct genus of basal procolophonid parareptile from earliest Triassic deposits of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It is known from the holotype SAM PK-11192, skull and partial postcranium. It was collected by the late L. D...
- Family Procolophonidae
- Genus Anomoiodon
- Genus Contritosaurus
- Genus Tichvinskia
- Genus ProcolophonProcolophonProcolophon was a genus of lizard-like procolophonid reptiles with at least eight species that persisted through the Permian–Triassic extinction event, but became extinct in the later Triassic....
- Genus LeptopleuronLeptopleuronLeptopleuron is a genus of an extinct procolophonid that lived in dry lands of the late Triassic of Scotland. Its fossils were found in Lossiemouth Sandstone....
- Genus HypsognathusHypsognathusHypsognathus is an extinct genus of anapsid reptile from the late Triassic period of New Jersey and Connecticut.Hypsognathus resembled a moderately sized lizard, with a length of , although it was unrelated to modern lizards....
- ?Family SclerosauridaeSclerosaurusSclerosaurus is an extinct genus of sauropsid....
- Genus SclerosaurusSclerosaurusSclerosaurus is an extinct genus of sauropsid....
- Genus Sclerosaurus
- Family Owenettidae
- PROCOLOPHONOIDEA
External links
- Introduction to Procolophonoidea University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP)
- Procolophonoidea in the Paleobiology DatabasePaleobiology Database' is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals, plants, and microorganisms.-History:The Paleobiology Database was founded in 2000. It has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Australian Research Council...