Pseudolagosuchus
Encyclopedia
Pseudolagosuchus is a genus
of dinosauromorph
from the Middle Triassic
(Ladinian
) Chañares Formation
of Argentina
. It may be a junior synonym of Lewisuchus
, but there is very little overlapping material. It was a small reptile
which was probably about one meter long, 30 centimeters (1 ft) tall, and weighed approximately 2 kilogram
s (5 lb
). It is known only from a pubis
, a femur
, a tibia
, and vertebrae.
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 dinosauromorph
Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauromorpha is the name of a clade of archosaurs that includes the closest relatives of dinosaurs, and the order Dinosauria itself. Basal forms include Saltopus, Marasuchus, the perhaps identical Lagosuchus, the lagerpetonids Lagerpeton from the Ladinian of Argentina and Dromomeron from the...
from the Middle Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
(Ladinian
Ladinian
The Ladinian is a stage and age in the Middle Triassic series or epoch. It spans the time between 237 ± 2 Ma and 228 ± 2 Ma...
) Chañares Formation
Chañares Formation
The Chañares Formation in La Rioja Provence, Argentina, dates to the Anisian stage of the early Middle Triassic.Some localities are well known for their abundance of tetrapods. Theraspids include the kannemeyeriid Dinodontosaurus, and cynodonts such as Probainognathus and Massetognathus, the latter...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. It may be a junior synonym of Lewisuchus
Lewisuchus
Lewisuchus is a genus of archosaur that lived during the Middle Triassic ; it was a silesaurid dinosauriform, a member of the group of reptiles which lead to the dinosaurs. Lewisuchus was about three feet long. Fossils have been found in Argentina...
, but there is very little overlapping material. It was a small reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
which was probably about one meter long, 30 centimeters (1 ft) tall, and weighed approximately 2 kilogram
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
s (5 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
). It is known only from a pubis
Pubis (bone)
In vertebrates, the pubic bone is the ventral and anterior of the three principal bones composing either half of the pelvis.It is covered by a layer of fat, which is covered by the mons pubis....
, a femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
, a tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
, and vertebrae.