Phytosaurs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Extinct reptilian creatures resembling crocodiles that lived during the Late Triassic period and are characterized by elongated snouts and nostrils located near the eyes rather than at the snout tip
2. Prehistoric semiaquatic reptiles that appear similar to modern crocodilians, notable for their unique cranial features and existence prior to the Jurassic era
3. Ancient carnivorous reptiles from the Triassic era, distinguished by their distinctive nostril placement and similarities in body shape to contemporary crocodile species

Etymology: Phytosaurs are the plural form of "phytosaur," so the word is simply the plural of that singular noun. The singular is built from two Greek elements: "phyto-," meaning "plant," and "-saur," from Greek "sauros," meaning "lizard." Taken literally, the name suggests a "plant lizard," which is a striking choice for an animal that was in fact a carnivore. The name is misleading in a more specific way. Phytosaurs were not lizards at all but archosaurs, a group closer to crocodiles and birds, and they were named for the wrong reason. Early fossil hunters found them in rocks that also held plant remains, and the "phyto-" prefix recorded that association rather than anything about the animals' diet. The name stuck even after its basis was understood to be a coincidence of deposition.

Synonyms: none