Is the Aetosaur a dinosaur?
Are Aetosaurs Dinosaurs? Aetosaurs were a group of armour plated reptiles that evolved in the Early Triassic and survived to the end of the Triassic period. Although many of these mainly herbivorous animals, shared the environment with dinosaurs they were not members of the Dinosauria.
When did aetosaurs go extinct?
Aetosaurs became extinct at the end of the Triassic, when a mass extinction eliminated most groups of pseudosuchians and many groups of synapsids. For more about aetosaurs, visit palaeos.com or Ben Creisler’s Aetosauria Translation and Pronunciation Guide. Benton, M.J. 1997.
What did aetosaurs eat?
The aetosaurs were primarily herbivorous animals, and were the first group of archosaurs to begin eating plants. Most likely, they fed on leaves and foliage from various ferns and “seed ferns” that were prevalent in their habitat.
Are Phytosaurs crocodiles?
Despite their great similarities in appearance and lifestyle, there are still a number of minor differences that distinguish phytosaurs from true crocodiles. For one thing, the phytosaur ankle structure is much more primitive than that of any crocodile.
What did Desmatosuchus eat?
Diet: Desmatosuchus was likely primarily herbivorous, although a degree of omnivory (for example, also eating insects) is not off the table, based on a few anatomial similarities to armadillos.
How did Jurassic Period End?
145 million years agoJurassic / Ended
What did Coelophysis look like?
Coelophysis was a primitive theropod dinosaur. Usually growing to length of about 2 metres (6.6 feet), it was very light, weighing only about 18–23 kg (40–50 pounds), and had a long, slender neck, tail, and hind legs. The head was long and narrow, and the jaws were equipped with many sharp teeth.
What ended the Cretaceous period?
66 million years agoCretaceous / Ended
What was the first land animal on Earth?
The earliest known land animal is Pneumodesmus newmani, a species of millipede known from a single fossil specimen, which lived 428 million years ago during the late Silurian Period. It was discovered in 2004, in a layer of sandstone near Stonehaven, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
What species died in the Triassic-Jurassic extinction?
On land, all archosauromorphs other than crocodylomorphs, pterosaurs, and dinosaurs went extinct; some of the groups which died out were previously abundant, such as aetosaurs, phytosaurs, and rauisuchids.
What did phytosaurs evolve into?
It is thought that phytosaurs evolved before dinosaurs and crocodiles separated. Some phytosaurs evolved into crocodile-like animals, with long slender snouts filled with sharp teeth perfect for catching slippery prey.
Where can you find aetosaurs?
Fossils of aetosaurs have been found in Europe and in North and South America, though they may have had a worldwide distribution. The most famous aetosaur localities are Elgin, Scotland, where Aetosaurus and Stagonolepis were found, and the Chinle Formation of western North America where we find Desmatosuchus.
What did the aetosaurs eat?
The aetosaurs were primarily herbivorous animals, and were the first group of archosaurs to begin eating plants. Most likely, they fed on leaves and foliage from various ferns and “seed ferns” that were prevalent in their habitat.
How did aetosaurs protect themselves from predators?
Based on their fossils and the fact that they were herbivores, aetosaurs probably relied on their armor and large size rather than speed to protect them from predators. Aetosaurs not only resembled crocodiles superficially, but were close relatives. Both aetosaurs and crocodiles belong to the Pseudosuchia, a group that also includes the phytosaurs.
What is the average size of aetosaurs?
Aetosaurs were sizeable reptiles that grew to be one to five meters long, the average being about three meters (10 feet). Most aetosaurs possessed a rather narrow crocodile-like body, although some had a broad turtle-like midsection.