#phytosauridae

Weird Heads Month #05: Crested Snorkelers

Phytosaurs were a lineage of incredibly crocodile-like archosauriformes – essentially "crocodiles before crocodiles" – convergently evolving an incredibly similar appearance at a time when the ancestors of modern crocs were still small and terrestrial.

But while they had toothy snouts and bodies heavily armored with bony ostederms, unlike crocodilians their nostrils were far back on their heads up near their eyes, often in a sort of bony "snorkel" so they could breathe while almost fully submerged underwater.

Mystriosuchus westphali lived in Germany during the Late Triassic, about 215-212 million years ago. Around 4m long (~13'), it was even more aquatic than other phytosaurs, with paddle-like limbs and long slender gharial-like jaws adapted for catching slippery prey.

And along with the typical phytosaur snorkel, it also had raised crests along its upper jaw – which may have supported even larger keratinous display structures.

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RUTIODON “Wrinkle tooth” Late Triassic 225-215 million years ago

Easily mistaken for a crocodile, Rutiodon was actually a phytosaur – a crocodile-like reptile from the Triassic. Phytosaurs had long, splay-legged bodies with tough, bony scales like crocs, but their nostrils were located in front of (or above!) their eyes, instead of on the tips of their snouts. And speaking of snouts – Rutiodon's snout was very, very narrow, to best reflect its outlook on the world and social issues.