The Paleontology of North America

Other Reptiles from North America

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Edaphosauridae
Edaphosauridae
© 2003 James Diffily

Pterosauria
Pterosauria
© 2003 James Diffily

Phytosauridae
Phytosauridae
© 2003 James Diffily

What are Other Reptiles? Many extinct reptiles share some (but not all) of the features that distinguish crocodiles, lizards, turtles, dinosaurs, or the marine reptiles. Included here, are the first amniotes, Hyolonomus and Paleothyris, which were small, agile, lizard-like insect-eaters. Also included are the flying reptiles (pterosaurs) and other diapsids (such as the rhynchosaurs, ornithosuchians, and aetosaurs), as well as some anapsids like pareiasaurs. These reptiles have a wide range of sizes, shapes, and skeletal features. While many were carnivores, with sharp teeth and even claws, others had flat teeth or beaks for eating plants. Members of this group first appear in the Middle Carboniferous, and the last members went extinct in the Triassic.

First known fossil occurrence: Carboniferous.

Last known fossil occurrence: Triassic.

Fossils through time:
Choose a time period to see what life was like:

Quaternary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Carboniferous
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Precambrian