Proterosuchia

Obsolete suborder of reptiles

Proterosuchia
"Erythrosuchus"
Erythrosuchus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Order: Thecodontia
Suborder: Proterosuchia
Broom 1906[1]

Proterosuchia is one of the suborders of the paraphyletic group Thecodontia; containing the most primitive and ancestral forms. These were primitive, vaguely crocodile-like, archosauriforms that mostly lived during the Early Triassic epoch.

The name Proterosuchia was coined by Robert Broom in 1906. In later classifications, several families were included, such as Proterosuchidae, Erythrosuchidae, and Proterochampsidae.

Under the cladistic system, this is a paraphyletic grade, rather than a natural group. The name is therefore no longer used, although it can be found in many textbooks (up to and including Carroll's Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution)

In current phylogenetic understanding, the Proterosuchia constitute the basal Archosauriformes; that is, the archosauriform groups but excluding the true Archosauria.

References

  1. ^ Broom, R. (1906). "On the South African Diaptosaurian Reptile Howesia". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1906:May-Dec. [pp.463-1052]: 591–600.
  2. ^ "†suborder Proterosuchia Broom 1906 (archosaur)". Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
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Sauropsida
    • see Sauropsida
Archosauromorpha
    • see below↓
Trachelosauridae
Sharovipterygidae?
Tanystropheidae
Allokotosauria
    • see Allokotosauria
Rhynchosauria
    • see Rhynchosauria
Prolacertidae?
Archosauriformes
    • see below↓
Sharovipteryx mirabilis

Macrocnemus basanii

Prolacerta broomi
Proterosuchidae
Protopyknosia
Erythrosuchidae
Euparkeriidae
Proterochampsia
    • see Proterochampsia
Phytosauria
    • see Phytosauria
Archosauria
Incertae sedis
Avemetatarsalia
    • see Avemetatarsalia
    • includes birds
Pseudosuchia
Proterosuchus fergusi

Erythrosuchus africanus

Euparkeria capensis
Tooth taxa
Nomina dubia
Paraphyletic groups
Possible members
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Taxon identifiers
Proterosuchia