Prehistoric Models: Protorosauria
Protorosauria is an extinct paraphyletic (a taxonomic term describing a group that consists of the grouping’s last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages) group of basal archosauromorpha meaning “ruling reptile forms” in Greek, is a clade of diapsid reptiles containing all reptiles more closely related to archosaurs. Archosaurs include crocodilians, dinosaurs, and birds (avian dinosaurs), rather than Lepidosauria including snakes, lizards, and tuataras.
Protorosaurs are distinguished by their long necks formed by elongated cervical vertebrae, which have ribs that extend backward to the vertebrae behind them. Protorosaurs also have a gap between the quadrate bones and the jugal bones in the back of the skull near the jaw joint making their skull resemble those of lizards.
Primary source of the data below courtesy: http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Superclass: Tetrapoda – Class: Reptilia – Clade: Diapsids – Clade: Archosauromorpha – Order: Protorosauria – Clade: Prolacertiformer – Family: Tanystrophidae
(tanystropheids)
Triassic
