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Thecodontia
Thecodontia (class Reptilia, subclass Archosauria) An order of ‘tooth-in-socket’ (i.e. thecodont) reptiles, and the most primitive of the archosaurs, that ranged from the Upper Permian to the Upper Triassic. Thecodontosaurus browni was one of the first of the group. It grew to 2–3 m in length and had a small head and neck. Essentially it was a quadruped, but it could walk on its hind legs. The Thecodontia were ancestral to the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and crocodiles. Apart from a limited number of primitive features in the skull, Euparkeria, a thecodont from the Lower Triassic, is a likely ancestor for most archosaurian stocks. It was a small reptile, only 60–100 cm in length.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Thecodontia." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "Thecodontia." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Thecodontia.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "Thecodontia." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Thecodontia.html |
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Thecodontia
Thecodontia (thecodonts) ‘Tooth-in-socket’ reptiles, and the most primitive order of the Archosauria (‘ruling reptiles’), ranging from the Upper Permian to the Upper Triassic. They were ancestral to the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and crocodiles. One of the first thecodonts was Thecodontosaurus browni which flourished during the Early Triassic. It grew to 2–3 m in length and had a small head and neck. Essentially it was a quadruped, but it could walk on its hind legs.
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Cite this article
AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Thecodontia." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Thecodontia." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-Thecodontia.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Thecodontia." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-Thecodontia.html |
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