1" Phytosaur Fossil Vertebrae Polished End Triassic Age Archosaur Redonda FM NM COA

Location: Redonda Formation, New Mexico (Private Land Origin) 

Weight: 0.4 Ounces 

Dimensions: 1 Inch Long, 1 Inch Wide, 0.6 Inches Thick

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

The item pictured is the one you will receive.

Late Triassic 242 To 199 Million Years Old

Phytosaurs are an extinct group of large, semi-aquatic archosaurs from the Upper Triassic. They had long snouts and heavy armor, resembling modern crocodiles in size, appearance, and lifestyle, which exemplifies convergent or parallel evolution. The name 'phytosaur' means 'plant reptile,' as the first fossils were mistakenly thought to belong to plant-eaters. However, their sharp teeth indicate they were predators. Although not true crocodilians, phytosaurs were more closely related to crocodilians than to other modern reptiles. Crocodiles only evolved a phytosaur-like form in the Lower Jurassic. "Consensus generally places phytosaurs as basal crurotarsans, possibly the basal-most group." Rutiodon is an extinct genus of archosaur within the family Phytosauridae, living during the Late Triassic. It measured approximately 3 to 8 meters and is known from fossils found in the eastern United States.