Procolophonid

Procolophonid is a term referring to members of Procolophonidae, an extinct family of small, herbivorous reptiles belonging to the order Procolophonia. These animals lived during the Triassic period, roughly from 252 to 201 million years ago. They were distributed across Gondwana and Laurasia, with fossils found in various parts of the world.

Physically, procolophonids were generally characterized by a stout body, a short tail, and a broad, often triangular skull. Many species possessed a distinctive bony crest or horn-like projections on their heads, likely used for display or defense. Their teeth were adapted for grinding plant matter, indicating a herbivorous diet. Procolophonids were relatively small, with most species measuring less than a meter in length.

The Procolophonidae family is considered to be within the broader group of parareptiles, which were a diverse radiation of reptiles that coexisted with the ancestors of modern reptiles. Procolophonids are of particular interest to paleontologists as they represent one of the last surviving lineages of parareptiles before their eventual extinction. Their evolutionary history and adaptations provide insights into the diversification and survival of reptiles in the aftermath of the Permian-Triassic extinction event.