Procolophonomorpha

Procolophonomorphs Temporal range: Gzhelian - Late Triassic,
Kapes bentoni (Procolophonidae)
Scutosaurus (Pareiasauria)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	†Parareptilia
Order:	†Procolophonomorpha Romer, 1964
Subgroups
†Australothyris †Bolosauria? †Erpetonyx †Bolosauridae †Ankyramorpha †Microleter? †Lanthanosuchoidea †Procolophonia

Procolophonomorpha is an order or clade containing most parareptiles. Many papers have applied various definitions to the name, though most of these definitions have since been considered synonymous with modern parareptile clades such as Ankyramorpha and Procolophonia. The current definition of Procolophonomorpha, as defined by Modesto, Scott, & Reisz (2009), is that of as a stem-based group containing Procolophon and all taxa more closely related to it than to Milleretta. It constitutes a diverse assemblage that includes a number of lizard-like forms, as well as more diverse types such as the pareiasaurs. Lee 1995, 1996, 1997 argues that turtles evolved from pareiasaurs, but this view is no longer considered likely. Rieppel and deBraga 1996 and deBraga and Rieppel, 1997 argue that turtles evolved from sauropterygians, and there is both molecular and fossil (Pappochelys) evidence for the origin of turtles among diapsid reptiles.

Classification

The following cladogram is simplified after the phylogenetic analysis of MacDougall and Reisz (2014) and shows the placement of Procolophonomorpha within Parareptilia and its interrelationships. Relationships within bolded terminal clades are not shown.

Parareptilia

Mesosaurus Millerosauria Procolophonomorpha Australothyris smithi Ankyramorpha Lanthanosuchoidea Feeserpeton oklahomensis Colobomycter pholeter Delorhynchus cifellii Acleistorhinus pteroticus Lanthanosuchus watsoni Microleter mckinzieorum Bolosauridae Belebey chengi Eudibamus cursoris Procolophonia Pareiasauromorpha Nycteroleteridae Pareiasauria Nyctiphruretidae Abyssomedon williamsi Nyctiphruretus acudens Procolophonoidea Owenettidae Procolophonidae

References

• Carroll, R. L., 1988: Appendix; Vertebrate Classification. in Carroll, R. L. 1988: Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution, W. H. Freeman and Company, New York
• deBraga M. and O. Rieppel. 1997. "Reptile phylogeny and the interrelationships of turtles". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 120: 281–354.
• deBraga, M. and Reisz, R. R., 1996: "The Early Permian reptile Acleistorhinus pteroticus and its phylogenetic position". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol. 16, #3, pp. 384–395
• Laurin, M., and Gauthier, J. A., 1996 Phylogeny and Classification of Amniotes, at the Tree of Life Web Project
• Lee, M. S. Y. 1995. "Historical burden in systematics and the interrelationships of 'Parareptiles'". Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 70: 459–547.
• Lee M. S. Y. 1996. "Correlated progression and the origin of turtles". Nature 379: 812–815.
• Lee, M. S. Y., 1997: "Pareiasaur phylogeny and the origin of turtles". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society: Vol. 120, pp. 197–280
• Rieppel O. and M. deBraga. 1996. "Turtles as diapsid reptiles". Nature 384: 453–455.

External links

• Basal Anapsids – Palaeos