Parasuchian

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to an extinct group of ancient reptiles resembling crocodiles; members are characterized by elongated snouts and semi-aquatic habits; these were part of the larger archosaur lineage from the Triassic period
2. Denoting prehistoric reptiles similar to modern crocodilians with pointed snouts and aquatic tendencies; these species belong to a distinct evolutionary group flourishing during the Triassic era; they display features linking them to archosaurs
3. Pertaining to early archosauriform reptiles resembling crocodiles with long, narrow jaws adapted for a water-based lifestyle; these creatures lived in the Triassic period and bridge the evolutionary gap between primitive and modern crocodile relatives

Etymology: "Parasuchian" is a scientific coinage, built from Greek roots and named for a group of reptiles that were not closely related to crocodiles despite their resemblance to them. The word derives from Greek "para," meaning "beside" or "alongside," and "suchos," the Greek name for a crocodile (associated with the god Sobek in Egyptian tradition). Together the name means something like "beside the crocodiles," a label that signals the group was positioned as a near relative of the crocodile lineage without belonging to it. The word is a synonym of "phytosaur," which takes a different route to the same idea. Its first element, "phyto," comes from Greek "phyton," meaning "plant," and the second, "-saur," comes from Greek "sauros," meaning "lizard." A phytosaur was thus a "plant-lizard" in name only: the label has nothing to do with diet, and the animals were in fact meat-eaters that hunted fish and other prey along river banks. The name probably reflects an early misreading of fossils found in plant-bearing rock beds.