Collection: Phytosaur

Phytosaurs are a group of prehistoric, mostly semi-aquatic reptiles that lived during the Triassic Period over 200 million years ago. They were uncannily similar to crocodiles in appearance, size, and biology despite the two groups being less closely related than elephants and sloths! This phenomenon is called convergent evolution. Unlike crocodiles, Phytosaur’s nostrils were near their eyes, they had armor on their backs and bellies, and often serrated teeth. Like crocodiles, they would wait by the water’s edge to ambush prey which would have included some of the very first dinosaurs!