| Prestosuchus Fossil range: Late Triassic | |
|---|---|
 Prestosuchus | |
| Scientific classification
| |
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Prestosuchus | |
Prestosuchus skeleton, Natural History Museum.
Prestosuchus chiniquensis.
Prestosuchus is an extinct genus of a group of rauisuchians called prestosuchids. Like its prestosuchid cousins, Prestosuchus had a deep skull, and serrated teeth. Prestosuchus lived in Brazil of the Late Triassic Period. It reached lengths of up to 7.8 metres. While it resembled a dinosaur in having a large body and upright posture it was actually a rauisuchian archosaur. It was an ambush predator and may have hunted smaller animals like Scaphonyx. Prestosuchus had powerful legs that indicate it was a fast runner. Its closest relatives are Saurosuchus and Postosuchus.
Description[]
Classification[]
The Prestosuchus chiniquensis was discovered in the Paleontological Site Chiniquá, near the city of São Pedro do Sul in 1938, the famous paleontologist Friedrich von Huene on a trip to Brazil. This site is located in the geopark of paleorrota.[1]
Gallery[]
Notes and references[]
See also[]
External links[]
- Drawing of Prestosuchus chiniquensis
- Dinosaurs of Rio grande do Sul.
- Brazilian Society of Paleontology.
- Palaeos.com: Prestosuchidae
