Procolophonidae is an extinct
family of small, lizard-like
parareptiles known from the
Late Permian to
Late Triassic that were distributed across
Pangaea, having been reported from Europe, North America, China, South Africa, South America, Antarctica and Australia. The most primitive procolophonids were likely insectiovous or omnivorous, more
derived members of the clade developed
bicusped molars, and were likely herbivorous feeding on high fiber vegetation or
durophagous omnivores.[3] Many members of the group are noted for spines projecting from the
quadratojugal bone of the skull, which likely served a defensive purpose as well as possibly also for display.[4] At least some taxa were likely
fossorial burrowers.[5] While diverse during the Early and Middle Triassic, they had very low diversity during the Late Triassic, and were extinct by the beginning of the
Jurassic.[6]
^Hans-Dieter Sues and Robert R. Reisz (2008). "Anatomy and Phylogenetic Relationships of Sclerosaurus armatus (Amniota: Parareptilia) from the Buntsandstein (Triassic) of Europe". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 28 (4): 1031–1042.
Bibcode:
2008JVPal..28.1031S.
doi:
10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.1031.
S2CID53967912.