Phytosauria Meyer, 1861

Nesbitt, Sterling J., 2011, The Early Evolution Of Archosaurs: Relationships And The Origin Of Major Clades, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (352), pp. 1-292 : 193

Phytosauria Meyer, 1861

ORIGINAL DEFINITION: Paleorhinus , Phytosauridae , and all descendants of their closest common ancestor ( Doyle and Sues, 1995).

REVISED DEFINITION: Stem: The most inclusive clade containing Rutiodon carolinensis ( Emmons, 1856) but not Aetosaurus ferratus Fraas, 1877 , Rauisuchus tiradentes Huene, 1942 , Prestosuchus chiniquensis Huene, 1942 , Ornithosuchus longidens Huxley, 1877 , and Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti, 1768 (sensu Sereno, 2005).

TEMPORAL RANGE: Late Triassic (late Carnian, Parasuchus hislopi, sensu Chatterjee, 2001 , to latest Triassic (?Rhaetian, Redondasaurus Hunt and Lucas, 1993 ).

SUPPORT: (1) Six+ premaxillary teeth (6-3). (2) Premaxilla longer than the maxilla (10- 1)*. (3) Facial portion of the maxilla anterior to anterior edge of antorbital fenestra equal in length or longer than portion posterior to anterior edge of fenestra (14-1). (4) Anterior extent of the maxilla anterior to the nasals (19-1)*. (5) Posterior portion of the maxilla ventral to the antorbital fenestra expands dorsoventrally at the posterior margin of the maxilla (27-2). (6) Subtriangular quadratojugal (46-1)*. (7) Dorsal head of the quadrate has a sutural contact with the paroccipital process of the opithotic (77-1)*. (8) External nares nonterminal (139-1+2)*. (9) Separate ossification anterior to the nasals surrounded by the premaxilla present (150-1). (10) Dentary-splenial mandibular symphysis present along one-third of lower jaw (160-1). (11) Markedly heterodont dentition (167-1). (12) Anterior portion of the coracoid distinctly hooked (226-1)*. (13) Ectepicondylar flange of the humerus present (234-0). (14) Attachment site for the M. iliofibularis on the fibula knob shaped or tablike, robust (339-1). (15) Articular surface for the fibula of the calcaneum convex and hemicylindrical shaped (378-1).

Other possible synapomorphies: AC- CTRAN: External naris directed dorsally (140-1); femoral head orientation anterior (60 ° –90 ° degrees) (305-0); medial side of distal tarsal 4 with foramen/foramina (352- 1). DELTRAN: Foramina for entrance of cerebral branches of internal carotid artery into the braincase positioned on the posterolateral surface (95-1); external naris directed dorsally (140-1); acromion process of the scapula in the about the same plane as ventral edge of the scapula (220-0); distal end of the calcaneal tuber flared dorsally and ventrally (374-1).