Procolophonidae

Procolophonids Temporal range: Middle Permian-Late Triassic
Skeleton (top) and life restoration (bottom) ofKapes bentoni(Procolophoninae) scale bar = 1cm
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	†Parareptilia
Order:	†Procolophonomorpha
Superfamily:	†Procolophonoidea
Family:	†Procolophonidae Seeley,1888
Subgroups and Genera
†Coletta †Gomphiosauridion? †Kinelia? †Kitchingnathus †Lasasaurus †Oryporan †Phaanthosaurus †Pintosaurus †Sauropareion †Smilodonterpeton †Sphenosaurus †Suchonosaurus †Spondylolestes? †Tichvinskia †Xenodiphyodon? †Youngetta †Leptopleuroninae †Procolophoninae †Theledectinae
Synonyms
SclerosauridaeNopcsa, 1923

Skull ofKapes bentoni

Procolophonidaeis an extinctfamilyof small, lizard-likeparareptilesknown from theLate PermiantoLate Triassicthat were distributed acrossPangaea,having been reported from Europe, North America, China, South Africa, South America, Antarctica and Australia. The most primitive procolophonids were likely insectiovous or omnivorous, morederivedmembers of the clade developedbicuspedmolars, and were likely herbivorous feeding on high fiber vegetation ordurophagousomnivores.Many members of the group are noted for spines projecting from thequadratojugal boneof the skull, which likely served a defensive purpose as well as possibly also for display.At least some taxa were likelyfossorialburrowers.While diverse during the Early and Middle Triassic, they had very low diversity during the Late Triassic, and were extinct by the beginning of theJurassic.

Phylogeny

Below is acladogramfrom Rutaet al.(2011):

Procolophonidae

Coletta seca Pintosaurus magnidentis Sauropareion anoplus Kitchingnathus untabeni Phaanthosaurus ignatjevi Phaanthosaurus simus Theledectinae Eumetabolodon dongshengensis Theledectes perforatus Tichvinskia vjatkensis Leptopleuroninae Pentaedrusaurus ordosianus Neoprocolophon asiaticus Sclerosaurus armatus Scoloparia glyphanodon Leptopleuron lacertinum Soturnia caliodon Hypsognathus fenneri Procolophoninae Eumetabolodon bathycephalus Procolophon trigoniceps Teratophon spinigenis Thelerpeton oppressus Timanophon raridentatus Thelephon contritus Anomoiodon liliensterni Kapes amaenus Kapes bentoni Kapes komiensis Kapes majmesculae

Below are three cladograms that followphylogenetic analysesby Butleret al.(2023).Analysis 1:Strict consensus of 760most parsimonious trees(MPTs):

Procolophonidae

Eomurruna Procolina Anomoiodon Lasasaurus Kitchingnathus Phonodus Thelephon Kapes bentoni Kapes majmesculae Timanophon Tichvinskia Theledectes Eumetabolodon dongshengensis Phaantosaurus(sic) Sauropareion Pintosaurus Coletta Eumetabolodon bathycephalus Procolophoninae Teratophon Thelerpeton Procolophon Leptopleuroninae Neoprocolophon Pentaedrusaurus Mandaphon Scoloparia Sclerosaurus Hwiccewyrm Hypsognathus Soturnia Leptopleuron

Analysis 2:Single MPT:

Procolophonidae

Coletta Lasasaurus Sauropareion Kitchingnathus Pintosaurus Phaantosaurus(sic) Eomurruna Eumetabolodon dongshengensis Timanophon Tichvinskia Procolophoninae Eumetabolodon bathycephalus Thelerpeton Teratophon Procolophon Leptopleuroninae Kapes bentoni Thelephon Kapes majmesculae Pentaedrusaurus Anomoiodon Theledectes Procolina Phonodus Mandaphon Neoprocolophon Scoloparia Sclerosaurus Hwiccewyrm Leptopleuron Hypsognathus Soturnia

Analysis 3:Strict consensus of 18 MPTs:

Procolophonidae

Coletta Sauropareion Kitchingnathus Phaantosaurus(sic) Eumetabolodon dongshengensis Eomurruna Theledectes Procolina Phonodus Lasasaurus Anomoiodon Thelephon Kapes bentoni Kapes majmesculae Timanophon Tichvinskia Eumetabolodon bathycephalus Procolophoninae Teratophon Thelerpeton Procolophon Leptopleuroninae Neoprocolophon Pentaedrusaurus Mandaphon Scoloparia Sclerosaurus Hwiccewyrm Hypsognathus Soturnia Leptopleuron

Sources

• Lambert, David (2001).Dinosaur Encyclopedia.New York: Dorling Kindersley. p.72.ISBN9780789479358.

External links

• Introduction to Procolophonoidea