Poposaurus

Taxobox
name = "Poposaurus"
fossil_range = Late Triassic

---

image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Poposaurus gracilis"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
ordo = Rauisuchia
subordo = Poposauria
familia = Poposauridae
genus = "Poposaurus"
binomial = "Poposaurus gracilis"
binomial_authority = Mehl (1915)

"Poposaurus" is the name given to a genus of reptile from the Late Triassic. It was a pseudosuchian archosaur which lived in what is now Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The type species, "Poposaurus gracilis", was described by M. G. Mehl in 1915.

"Poposaurus" was originally thought to be an ornithomimid dinosaur, but was later reclassified.

"Poposaurus" gives its name to the Poposauridae, a group of Late Triassic reptiles. Other members of the clade may include "Bromsgroveia", "Lotosaurus", "Chatterjeea", and others, although the exact placement of several genera is still debated. Paleontologist Sankar Chatterjee of Texas Tech University suggested in 1985 that the Poposauridae gave rise to "Tyrannosaurus", based on skull similarities, but this theory is not supported by most paleontologists, who argue the wrist and ankle bones more closely resemble those of crocodylomorphs.

References

* M. G. Mehl (1915). "Poposaurus gracilis", a new reptile from the Triassic of Wyoming". "Journal of Geology" 23: 516-522.

External links

* [http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=displayReference&reference_no=15408 "Poposaurus" at the Paleobiology Database]
* [http://www.palaeos.com/Vertebrates/Units/270Archosauromorpha/270.700.html#Poposauridae Poposauridae at Palaeos.com]
* [http://dml.cmnh.org/2006Jan/msg00520.html Dinosaur Mailing List entry which discusses the Poposauridae]