Parasuchid reptiles from the Triassic Dockum Group of West Texas

Abstract

Parasuchids (=phytosaurs) are characteristic Late Triassic archosaurian reptiles, comprising a family (Parasuchidae) most notable for its striking resemblance to modern crocodilians in superficial skeletal morphology and presumptive ecological niche. Fossil remains of parasuchids have been found in abundance in North America, India, Europe, and North Africa. The profusion of parasuchid fossils, as well as the range of distinct variations within the family, has made these reptiles important in the relative dating and correlation of Late Triassic continental sediments. Of the six genera of parasuchids considered in this study to have been established, four occur in North American deposits; all four are represented in the known vertebrate fauna of the Triassic Dockum Group of Texas.