Phytosaur

From Petrified Forest National Park:

Phytosaur fossils are some of the most abundant vertebrate fossils in the park. These long-snouted reptiles are closely related to archosaurs. They look very much like the modern crocodylians, but there are several things that differentiate phytosaurs from crocodylians. First, the nostrils of phytosaurs are located high up on the skull, almost between the eyes! Second, phytosaurs do not have a complete bony roof over the mouth. Third, phytosaurs have a paired row of armor scutes down their back, unlike crocodylians that have multiple rows. Two of the phytosaurs that you would encounter at Petrified Forest in the Triassic are named Smilosuchus and Machaeroprosopus. Illustration by Jeff Martz. (hl)#fossils #ScienceSaturday #parkscience 

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