Prolacertiformes Fossil range: Permian-Triassic
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Sauropsida   Subclass: Diapsida   Infraclass: Archosauromorpha   Order: Prolacertiformes Camp, 1945
Families
Protorosauridae Prolacertidae Sharovipterygidae

Prolacertiformes (sometimes called Protorosaurs) were an order of archosauromorph reptiles that lived during the Permian and Triassic Periods. Many species seem to have been adapted for an arboreal lifestyle, including the "delta-winged glider" Sharovipteryx, while others, such as Tanystropheus, had extremely long, stiffened necks (possibly used to catch fish), and may have been at least partly aquatic.

Other enigmatic reptile groups have sometimes been assigned by some resarches to the Prolacertiformes, including the drepanosaurids, Longisquama, and the Pterosaurs. Senter (2004) re-assigned the bizarre, arboreal drepanosaurids and Longisquama to a group of more primitive diapsids called Avicephala, though some researchers still place these forms among the prolacertiformes.

Classification of Prolacertiformes

Infraclass Archosauromorpha

• Order PROLACERTIFORMES
  • Family Protorosauridae
    • Protorosaurus
  • Family Prolacertidae
    • Kadimakara
      Pamelaria
      Prolacerta
  • Jesairosaurus
    Malerisaurus
    Macrocnemus
    Langobardisaurus
    Boreopricea
    Cosesaurus
  • Family Sharovipterygidae
    • Sharovipteryx
  •  ?Order Pterosauria
  • Family Tanystrophidae
    • Tanytrachelos
      Tanystropheus

    References

    • Senter, P. (2004). "Phylogeny of Drepanosauridae (Reptilia: Diapsida)." Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 2 (3): 257-268.