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217 / Paleozoic
Prionosuchus
Prionosuchus plummeri
A long, tooth-filled snout gave this giant amphibian a gharial-like aquatic profile.
- Time range
- About 270 million years ago
- Final stage
- Middle Permian
- Geographic range
- Tropical rivers and lagoons · Northern Brazil
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Prionosuchus?
Prionosuchus (Prionosuchus plummeri) was an extinct organism known from About 270 million years ago, with a range in Tropical rivers and lagoons · Northern Brazil.
Life and ecology
Prionosuchus was a long-snouted temnospondyl that probably ate fish and swam with its long trunk and tail. Famous giant length estimates rely on fragmentary material.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Prionosuchus disappear?
Long-term changes to Permian drainage and climate reorganized large freshwater predator communities.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Prionosuchus?
Snout, jaw and skull fragments from the Pedra do Fogo Formation show a narrow head and conical teeth; total size remains uncertain.
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?
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS