Procolophonids Temporal range:265–201.3 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Middle Permian -Late Triassic
Skeleton (top) and life restoration (bottom) ofKapes bentoni (Procolophoninae) scale bar = 1cm
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Subclass:	†Parareptilia
Order:	†Procolophonomorpha
Superfamily:	†Procolophonoidea
Family:	†Procolophonidae Seeley, 1888
Subgroups and Genera
†Coletta †Gomphiosauridion? †Kinelia? †Kitchingnathus †Lasasaurus †Oryporan †Phaanthosaurus †Pintosaurus †Sauropareion †Smilodonterpeton †Sphenosaurus †Suchonosaurus †Spondylolestes? †Tichvinskia †Xenodiphyodon? †Youngetta †Leptopleuroninae †Procolophoninae †Theledectinae
Synonyms
SclerosauridaeNopcsa, 1923[1][2]

Procolophonidae is an extinctfamily of small, lizard-likeparareptiles known from theLate Permian toLate Triassic that were distributed acrossPangaea, having been reported from Europe, North America, China, South Africa, South America, Antarctica and Australia. The most primitive procolophonids were likely insectivorous or omnivorous, morederived members of the clade developedbicusped molars, and were likely herbivorous feeding on high fiber vegetation ordurophagous omnivores.^[3] Many members of the group are noted for spines projecting from thequadratojugal bone of the skull, which likely served a defensive purpose as well as possibly also for display.^[4] At least some taxa were likelyfossorial 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 theJurassic.^[6]

The family is defined as all taxa more closely related toProcolophon trigoniceps than toOwenetta rubidgei.^[1] Below is acladogram from Rutaet al. (2011):^[7]

Below are three cladograms that followphylogenetic analyses by Butleret al. (2023).Analysis 1: Strict consensus of 760most parsimonious trees (MPTs):^[8]

Analysis 2: Single MPT:^[8]

Analysis 3: Strict consensus of 18 MPTs:^[8]

• Lambert, David (2001).Dinosaur Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 72.ISBN 978-0-7894-7935-8.

• Introduction to Procolophonoidea

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