Archosauromorpha

Archosauromorphs
Trilophosaurus, a primitive archosauromorph
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Subclass:	Diapsida
Infraclass:	Archosauromorpha von Huene, 1946
Orders
See text

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Archosauromorpha (Greek for "ruling lizard forms") is an infraclass of diapsid reptiles that first appeared during the late Permian and became more common during the Triassic. Included in this infraclass are the groups Rhynchosauria, Trilophosauridae, Prolacertiformes, Archosauriformes, and, tentatively, Choristodera. While superficially these reptiles vary in appearance (at one time they were even included in different subclasses – the trilophosaurs were considered euryapsids, and the rhynchosaurs were considered lepidosaurs and were included in the same order as the tuatara), they are actually united by a number of small skeletal and skull-related details that suggest they form a clade that descended from a single common ancestor.

Of the five taxa mentioned above the first three died out at or before the end-Triassic extinction. The choristoderans continued as a minor group until the Miocene, and the Archosauriformes were important factors in early Triassic environments before giving rise to the even more successful Archosauria.

Taxonomy

Classification

• Subclass Diapsida
  • Infraclass ARCHOSAUROMORPHA
    • Family Euparkeriidae
    • Family Erythrosuchidae
    • Family Proterochampsidae
    • Family Proterosuchidae
    • ?Order Choristodera
    • Order Prolacertiformes
    • Order Rhynchosauria
    • Order Trilophosauria
    • Division Archosauria
      • Subdivision Crurotarsi
        • Family Ornithosuchidae
        • Order Aetosauria
        • Order Phytosauria
        • Order Rauisuchia
        • Superorder Crocodylomorpha
          • Order Crocodilia
      • Subdivision Avemetatarsalia
        • Scleromochlus
        • Division Ornithodira
          • Order Pterosauria
          • Superorder Dinosauria
            • Order Ornithischia
            • Order Saurischia

Phylogeny

Archosauromorpha	Rhynchosauria ?Teraterpeton Trilophosauria Prolacertiformes  Archosauriformes  ?Uatchitodon Proterosuchidae ?Erythrosuchidae Euparkeriidae ?Turfanosuchus Proterochampsidae Yonghesuchus  Archosauria  Crurotarsi (crocodiles and relatives) Avemetatarsalia (dinosaurs, pterosaurs, birds, and relatives)

External links

• Palaeos
• Paleofiles – lists taxa

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This article is part of Project Animalia, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each animal, including made-up species.