Kingdom Animalia Clade †Capitosauria Phylum Chordata Order Temnospondyli | Suborder †Stereospondyli Family †Mastodonsauridae Rank Genus | |
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Similar Temnospondyli, Capitosauria, Wetlugasaurus, Eryosuchus, Edingerella | ||
Parotosuchus is an extinct genus of capitosaurian temnospondyl within the family Mastodonsauridae. Fossils are known from the Early Triassic of Europe, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. It was about 2 metres (6.6 ft) long and likely lived in aquatic environments such as lakes and rivers. Parotosuchus was covered in a scaly skin, unlike the smooth skin of modern-day amphibians, and probably moved with an eel-like motion in the water.
Parotosuchus was originally named Parotosaurus. However, the name Parotosaurus was preoccupied by a genus of skinks, and in 1968 the name Parotosuchus was proposed as a replacement. The name Archotosaurus was also proposed as a replacement name in 1976, although the author who proposed this was unaware that Parotosuchus was already in use. Because the name Parotosuchus was erected earlier than Archotosaurus, it has priority.