Poposauridae is a family of large carnivorous archosaurs which lived alongside dinosaurs during the Late Triassic. They were around 2.5 to 5 metres (8 ft 2 in to 16 ft 5 in) long. Poposaurids are known from fossil remains from North and South America. While originally believed to be theropod dinosaurs (they mirrored the theropods in a number of respects, such as features of the skull and bipedal locomotion), cladistic analysis has shown them to be more closely related to crocodiles.

An early cladistic analysis of crocodylotarsan archosaurs included Poposaurus, Postosuchus, Teratosaurus, and Bromsgroveia within Poposauridae. However, later studies found Teratosaurus to be a rauisuchid. All recent phylogenetic analyses place Postosuchus either as a rauisuchid or a prestosuchid.

Genera

GenusStatusAgeLocationDescriptionImages
†DolichobrachiumNomen dubium.Late TriassicNorth America
†LythrosuchusJunior synonym.Junior synonym of Poposaurus
†PoposaurusValid.Late TriassicNorth America.

Further reading

  • Galton, P. M., 1985, The poposaurid thecodontian Teratosaurus suevicus von Meyer, plus referred specimens mostly based on prosauropod dinosaurs. Stuttgarter Beitrage zur Naturkunde, B 116: 1-29.

External links

  • - Dinosaur Mailing List archives