Porriids

Porriids are a family of ancient armored plated dinosaurs that lived during the Early to Late Triassic period, approximately 230-200 million years ago. They are a subgroup of the larger group Rauisuchians, a group of archosaurs that were characterized by their armored plating.

The name Porriids was coined by paleontologist Paul Sereno in 1998, and it is derived from the genera Porrorhacos and Proceratosaurus, which are the first porriids to be discovered. Since then, several other porriids have been discovered in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Porriids are characterized by their distinctive set of armored plating, which includes complex, hexagonal plates that cover their skulls, necks, and bodies. These plates were likely used for display purposes, such as attracting mates or intimidating rivals, as well as for defense against predators. Some porriids, like Porrorhacos, also had a distinctive 'beak' shaped snout and large eyes.

Porriids were generally small to medium-sized predators, with most species ranging from 2-7 meters in length. They were likely carnivorous or omnivorous, feeding on other early dinosaurs, temnospondyls, and synapsids. Despite their widespread distribution, porriids are relatively rare in the fossil record, with only a handful of well-preserved specimens discovered so far. Further research and discovery are needed to fully understand the biology and diversity of Porriids.