Metoposauridae
Sign in to saveMetoposauridae is an extinct family of trematosaurian temnospondyls. The family is known from the Late Triassic period. Most members are large, approximately long and could reach 3 m long. Metoposaurids can be distinguished from most other stereospondyls by the position of their eyes, placed far forward on the snout (the type genus, Metoposaurus, means 'front lizard').
Wikidata facts
- Parent taxon
- Trematosauroidea
- Image
- Metoposaurus diagnosticus kraselovi 1DB.jpg
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Encyclopedic overview
4 sectionsContents
- Geographic distribution
- History of study
- Taphonomy
- References
Metoposauridae is an extinct family of trematosaurian temnospondyls. The family is known from the Late Triassic period. Most members are large, approximately long and could reach 3 m long. Metoposaurids can be distinguished from most other stereospondyls by the position of their eyes, placed far forward on the snout (the type genus, Metoposaurus, means 'front lizard').
== Geographic distribution == Metoposaurids had a wide distribution across Pangea, being known from across the continental United States and Nova Scotia in North America; France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal in western Europe; India; Morocco; and Madagascar. Material has also been reported from Zimbabwe but was not collected. At least some historic reports of metoposaurid material are likely undiagnostic below Stereospondyli or are referable to other clades.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Metoposauridae” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.