Explore this animal in Size of Extinct Animals ↗
377 / Mesozoic
Paracyclotosaurus
Paracyclotosaurus davidi
A near-complete skeleton reveals the full proportions of a giant Triassic amphibian.
View original image · 1600 × 1067- Time range
- About 247–242 million years ago
- Final stage
- Middle Triassic
- Geographic range
- Forested rivers · New South Wales, Australia
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Paracyclotosaurus?
Paracyclotosaurus (Paracyclotosaurus davidi) was an extinct organism known from About 247–242 million years ago, with a range in Forested rivers · New South Wales, Australia.
Life and ecology
It ambushed fish in river shallows and could probably haul its heavy body briefly ashore.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Paracyclotosaurus disappear?
Changes in drainage and predator faunas are possible context; the fossil record does not establish why the genus disappeared.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Paracyclotosaurus?
The skull, spine, girdles and tail jointly constrain this unusually complete reconstruction.
04 / SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the source record
Use the scientific name to compare taxonomy, occurrence records and the fossil record. Database coverage and classifications may differ.
05 / REVISION HISTORY
How has this record changed?
- Rewrote an extinction cause that presented environmental or faunal turnover as established; it is now given as context the record does not prove.
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS