Other fossil reptiles and early archosaurs A to Z
Permian experiments, Triassic herbivores and fossils close to the origin of dinosaurs
The fossils span several independent lineages and more than 70 million years of reptile evolution.
This is a navigational collection, not one evolutionary group: every card identifies its actual lineage.
A
AAcleistorhinus
Acleistorhinus pteroticus
A small Early Permian parareptile from Oklahoma represented by one exceptionally informative skull.
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AAgnosphitys
Agnosphitys cromhallensis
A tiny Late Triassic dinosauriform from England known securely from one isolated ilium.
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AAnthodon
Anthodon serrarius
A small Late Permian pareiasaur whose mature bone tissue supports genuine evolutionary dwarfing.
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AAraeoscelis
Araeoscelis
A slender Early Permian diapsid from Texas with a reinforced skull and unusually robust teeth.
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AArchosaurus
Archosaurus rossicus
A latest Permian archosauriform known securely from a distinctive premaxilla.
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AArganaceras
Arganaceras vacanti
A Late Permian Moroccan pareiasaur diagnosed mainly from a distorted but substantial skull.
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AArizonasaurus
Arizonasaurus babbitti Welles, 1947
A Middle Triassic poposauroid from Arizona, recognised by a later skeleton with tall dorsal spines.
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AAzendohsaurus
Azendohsaurus
A robust Triassic herbivorous archosauromorph with a long neck, deep skull and large claws.
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BBatrachotomus
Batrachotomus kupferzellensis
A large Middle Triassic pseudosuchian known from a broad skeletal sample and feeding traces.
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BBeesiiwo
Beesiiwo cooowuse
A Carnian Wyoming rhynchosaur known chiefly from diagnostic jaw fossils.
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BBentonyx
Bentonyx sidensis
A Middle Triassic rhynchosaur whose near-complete skull was re-examined with CT scanning.
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BBradysaurus
Bradysaurus baini
A large Karoo pareiasaur known from substantial skeletons and revised species diagnoses.
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BBrasinorhynchus
Brasinorhynchus mariantensis
A Brazilian Middle Triassic rhynchosaur represented by a skull and separate jaws.
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BBunostegos
Bunostegos akokanensis
A Late Permian Niger pareiasaur with rounded skull bosses and unusual forelimb joints.
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CCaptorhinus
Captorhinus aguti
An Early Permian eureptile known from numerous Oklahoma jaws with growing tooth rows and asymmetric wear.
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CCarbonemys
Carbonemys cofrinii
A Late Paleocene Colombian turtle known from a skull; the giant shell remains unassociated.
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CChampsosaurus
Champsosaurus
A long-snouted North American choristodere known from the Late Cretaceous and Palaeocene.
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CCoelurosauravus
Coelurosauravus elivensis
A Late Permian Madagascar reptile with a body-supported membrane for gliding.
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CCoeruleodraco
Coeruleodraco jurassicus
A Jurassic choristodere known from a nearly complete articulated skeleton in China.
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CColobomycter
Colobomycter pholeter
An Early Permian parareptile with enlarged teeth and folded dentine.
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CCtenosauriscus
Ctenosauriscus koeneni
An Early Triassic archosauriform known for exceptionally tall vertebral spines.
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DDelorhynchus
Delorhynchus cifellii
An Early Permian parareptile whose skull and hidden bones were studied with neutron tomography.
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DDeltavjatia
Deltavjatia rossica
A Russian Late Permian pareiasaur represented by skulls and bones from different growth stages.
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DDesmatosuchus
Desmatosuchus spurensis Case, 1920
A large North American Triassic aetosaur with extensive osteoderm armour and long spikes near the shoulders.
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DDoswellia
Doswellia kaltenbachi
A Virginia archosauriform with a broad rib cage and rows of osteoderms.
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DDrepanosaurus
Drepanosaurus unguicaudatus Pinna, 1980
A small Late Triassic reptile with a specialised forelimb, a huge hooked claw and a prehensile tail.
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EEffigia
Effigia okeeffeae
A bipedal, toothless pseudosuchian from the Late Triassic of New Mexico.
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EElginia
Elginia mirabilis
A Late Permian pareiasaur known for its ornamented skull and partial Scottish skeleton.
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EEmbrithosaurus
Embrithosaurus schwarzi
A South African pareiasaur recognised by broad, nine-cusped teeth.
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EEmeroleter
Emeroleter levis
A Russian Permian parareptile whose associated skeletons revealed slender limbs.
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EErythrosuchus
Erythrosuchus africanus
A giant-headed Middle Triassic predator from South Africa's Karoo Basin.
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EEunotosaurus
Eunotosaurus africanus Seeley, 1892
A Middle Permian reptile with nine pairs of broad ribs, once proposed as a turtle relative and now interpreted in some analyses as a digging specialist.
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EEuparkeria
Euparkeria capensis Broom, 1913
A small South African Middle Triassic archosauriform known from remains of more than ten individuals.
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FFeeserpeton
Feeserpeton oklahomensis
A Permian parareptile whose only known fossil is a CT-studied skull.
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GGarjainia
Garjainia prima
An Early Triassic Russian predator known from a type skull and a multi-individual bone bed.
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HHowesia
Howesia browni
An early South African rhynchosaur whose new skulls clarify its beak and taxonomy.
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HHylonomus
Hylonomus lyelli Dawson, 1860
One of the oldest well-supported amniotes, known from a nearly complete skeleton found in a hollow tree trunk at Carboniferous Joggins.
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HHyperodapedon
Hyperodapedon gordoni
A Scottish Triassic rhynchosaur with a beak and complex tooth plates.
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HHyphalosaurus
Hyphalosaurus spp.
A long-necked Jehol reptile known from skeletons, skin and reproductive fossils.
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HHypuronector
Hypuronector limnaios
A small Newark Basin drepanosaur with a strikingly deep tail.
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IIkechosaurus
Ikechosaurus spp.
A long-snouted Early Cretaceous choristodere with articulated skeletons and an egg fossil.
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IIsalorhynchus
Isalorhynchus genovefae
A Malagasy rhynchosaur known chiefly from jaws with specialised tooth plates.
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KKhurendukhosaurus
Khurendukhosaurus orlovi
A long-necked Asian choristodere known mainly from postcranial bones.
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KKuehneosaurus
Kuehneosaurus latus Robinson, 1962
A small Late Triassic reptile with elongated ribs that supported a lateral gliding membrane.
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LLagosuchus
Lagosuchus talampayensis Romer, 1971
A small Late Triassic Argentine dinosauriform known from fragmentary bones and a revised taxonomic history.
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LLangeronyx
Langeronyx brodiei
An English rhynchosaur known from a partial skull divided between two museums.
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LLanthanosuchus
Lanthanosuchus watsoni
A Permian tetrapod known chiefly from its broad, sculptured skull.
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LLazarussuchus
Lazarussuchus spp.
A small European choristodere documented from Paleocene to Miocene deposits.
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LLongisquama
Longisquama insignis Sharov, 1970
A small Triassic diapsid from Kyrgyzstan known for patterned elongated skin appendages and an incomplete forebody.
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LLotosaurus
Lotosaurus adentus
A toothless poposauroid known from a dense Middle Triassic bonebed in Hunan.
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MMacroleter
Macroleter poezicus
A Middle Permian parareptile represented by an articulated skeleton and several skulls.
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MMecistotrachelos
Mecistotrachelos apeoros
A long-necked Triassic reptile with extended ribs that likely supported a gliding membrane.
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MMeiolania
Meiolania
An extinct terrestrial turtle with skull horns, bony tail rings and a rare fossil egg clutch from Lord Howe Island.
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MMesosuchus
Mesosuchus browni
An early South African rhynchosaur with a downturned snout and less specialised teeth.
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MMilleretta
Milleretta rubidgei
A late Permian millerettid whose growth-related skull changes shape its classification.
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MMonjurosuchus
Monjurosuchus splendens
A Jehol choristodere preserved with skin impressions, webbed feet and possible gut contents.
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NNanoparia
Nanoparia luckhoffi
A late Permian pareiasaur represented chiefly by a diagnostic juvenile skull.
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NNochelesaurus
Nochelesaurus alexanderi
A middle Permian pareiasaur recognised by its broad postparietal and distinctive teeth.
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NNoteosuchus
Noteosuchus colletti
An earliest Triassic reptile known from one partial skeleton without a skull.
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NNyctiphruretus
Nyctiphruretus acudens
A Permian Russian parareptile represented by several skulls and a debated phylogenetic position.
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OOrnithosuchus
Ornithosuchus woodwardi Newton, 1894
A large-headed Late Triassic pseudosuchian from Scotland, known from natural sandstone moulds and reconstructed as a quadruped.
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OOryctorhynchus
Oryctorhynchus bairdi
A Late Triassic Canadian rhynchosaur known mainly from diagnostic jaws and skull fragments.
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PPareiasaurus
Pareiasaurus serridens Owen
A large South African Late Permian pareiasaur with a broad sculptured skull, serrated teeth and separate osteoderms.
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PPetrolacosaurus
Petrolacosaurus kansensis Lane, 1945
An early diapsid from Late Carboniferous Kansas, first named from a hind limb and later known from skulls and articulated skeletons.
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PPhilydrosaurus
Philydrosaurus proseilus
An Early Cretaceous choristodere known from several skeletons and an adult–juvenile association.
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PPisanosaurus
Pisanosaurus mertii Casamiquela, 1967
A small Carnian dinosauriform from Argentina known from one partial skeleton and debated as an early ornithischian or silesaurid.
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PPoposaurus
Poposaurus gracilis Mehl, 1915
A large Late Triassic poposauroid pseudosuchian with a bipedal body plan and serrated teeth, known from several North American localities.
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PProcolophon
Procolophon trigoniceps
An Early Triassic procolophonid with paired cheek projections and a revised Gondwanan fossil record.
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PProlacerta
Prolacerta broomi
An Early Triassic archosauromorph whose compressed type skull has been re-examined by micro-CT.
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PProterosuchus
Proterosuchus fergusi Broom, 1903 and related species
An early Triassic South African archosauriform with a downturned snout, represented by several skulls and partial skeletons.
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PProtorosaurus
Protorosaurus speneri
A long-necked Late Permian archosauromorph documented in Germany and England.
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PPumiliopareia
Pumiliopareia pricei
A Karoo pareiasaur whose small type material and osteoderms raise questions about growth stage.
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RRhynchosaurus
Rhynchosaurus articeps Owen, 1842
A small Middle Triassic English herbivore known from a beaked skull and remains of about 17 individuals.
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RRiojasuchus
Riojasuchus tenuisceps
An Argentine ornithosuchid with a hooked snout and CT-studied skulls.
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SSaltopus
Saltopus elginensis von Huene, 1910
A tiny Late Triassic Scottish dinosauriform represented by one headless skeleton with long hind limbs and an uncertain position near Dinosauria.
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SSarmatosuchus
Sarmatosuchus otschevi
A Middle Triassic Russian archosauriform known from one partial skeleton and a revised family-tree position.
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SSaurosuchus
Saurosuchus galilei Reig, 1959
A large Carnian loricatan pseudosuchian from Argentina, known from a diagnostic skull, partial skeleton and paired osteoderms.
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SScaphonyx
Scaphonyx fischeri
A fragmentary Brazilian Triassic fossil name that cannot be diagnosed to species.
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SScutosaurus
Scutosaurus karpinskii
A large Late Permian pareiasaur from northern Russia, known from a rich Sokolki fossil assemblage.
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SSharovipteryx
Sharovipteryx mirabilis
A tiny Triassic archosauromorph with soft-tissue traces around its long hindlimbs.
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SShihtienfenia
Shihtienfenia permica
A Late Permian Chinese pareiasaur represented by postcranial fossils, with its skull still unknown.
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SShringasaurus
Shringasaurus indicus Sengupta et al., 2017
A Middle Triassic Indian allokotosaur with paired horns in large adults and a plant-processing dentition.
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SSimoedosaurus
Simoedosaurus lemoinei
A Paleocene choristodere with a broad skull and fossils in Europe and North America.
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SStagonolepis
Stagonolepis robertsoni Agassiz, 1844
A Late Triassic Scottish aetosaur known from natural sandstone moulds and once mistaken for an armoured fish.
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SStenaulorhynchus
Stenaulorhynchus stockleyi
A Tanzanian Middle Triassic rhynchosaur known from a type humerus and referred cranial and limb fossils.
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SStupendemys
Stupendemys geographica
A giant Miocene freshwater turtle known from shells, postcranial bones and an associated skull.
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TTchoiria
Tchoiria namsarai
An Early Cretaceous Mongolian choristodere known from a partial skull and associated skeleton.
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TTeyumbaita
Teyumbaita sulcognathus
A Late Triassic Brazilian rhynchosaur known for its broad skull, grooved tooth plates and CT-studied nasal cavity.
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TTicinosuchus
Ticinosuchus ferox Krebs, 1965
A Middle Triassic terrestrial pseudosuchian from Switzerland, preserved as an articulated skeleton in marine deposits.
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TTrilophosaurus
Trilophosaurus buettneri
A Late Triassic archosauromorph with three-cusped cheek teeth and a type fossil reidentified as an upper jaw.
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TTypothorax
Typothorax coccinarum
A Late Triassic aetosaur documented by broad osteoderm armour, articulated skeletons and an associated complete skull.
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VVancleavea
Vancleavea campi
A Late Triassic archosauriform known from an articulated, heavily armoured skeleton at Ghost Ranch.
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WWeigeltisaurus
Weigeltisaurus jaekeli
A Late Permian German diapsid known from a nearly complete skeleton with skin-borne gliding supports.
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YYoungina
Youngina capensis
A Late Permian South African neodiapsid re-examined through synchrotron CT and a 2025 taxonomic reassessment.
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