Pareiasaur

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bradysaurus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nochelesaurus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Embrithosaurus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Deltavjatia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Velosauria

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shihtienfenia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pareiasuchus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pareiasaurus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Scutosaurus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Elginia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nanopareia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Anthodon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Pareiasaurs - family Pareiasauridae - are a group of medium-sized to very large (60 cm to 3 meters long), stocky, early, reptilian herbivores, that flourished during the Permian period. These ungainly-looking animals had very large bodies (weights of 600 kg would not have been unusual), strong limbs, broad feet, and short tails. They were protected with bony scutes (osteoderms) set in the skin, as a defense against preditors. But the most unsual thing about them were the heavy skulls ornamented with strange knobs and ridges.

Related Topics:
Herbivore - Permian - Osteoderm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The leaf-shaped multi-cusped teeth resemble those of iguanas, caesids, and other reptilian herbivores. This dentition, together with the deep capacious body (which would have housed an extensive digestive tract) indicate that these fearsome-looking animals were in fact inoffensive herbivores.

Related Topics:
Iguana - Caesids - Digestive tract - Herbivore

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lee 1997 has argued that Pareiasaurs evolved into turtles. They had turtle-like skull features, and in several genera the scutes had developed into bony plates, possibly the precursers of a turtle shell. However, critics have pointed out problems in this view, such as the non-homology between parieasaur scutes and the turtle shell.

Related Topics:
Turtles - Homology

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~