Kingdom Animalia Family †Pareiasauridae Rank Genus | Class Reptilia Phylum Chordata Order Procolophonomorpha | |
Similar Candelaria, Nanoparia, Shihtienfenia, Arganaceras, Teratophon | ||
Provelosaurus is an extinct Pareiasaur genus of the Late Permian found on the road between Aceguá and Bagé in the Paleorrota, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Found in the Rio do Rasto Formation, aged about 260 million years. The specimen found measures 2.5 meters in length.
Classification
Originally described as a South American representative of the genus Pareiasaurus, it was assigned to a new genus Provelosaurus by Lee (1997), who noted it shows more affinities with the small, highly derived, South African dwarf pareiasaurs (called Pumiliopareiasauria by Jalil & Janvier 2005 ) than with the more typical Pareiasaurus. According to Lee, Provelosaurus bridges the morphological gap between the advanced South African and the more generalized pareiasaurs. So far so good, African and Brazilian fauna often are very similar.