Termatosaurus

Taxobox
name = "Termatosaurus"
fossil_range = Late Triassic


image_width =
image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
unranked_ordo = Archosauria
ordo = Phytosauria
familia = unknown
genus = "Termatosaurus"
genus_authority = Meyer & Plieninger, 1844
subdivision_ranks=Species
subdivision=
*"T. albertii" Meyer & Plieninger, 1844 (type)
*"T. crocodilinus" Quenstedt, 1858

"Termatosaurus" ("end lizard", because it came from the end of the Upper Triassic) is a genus of phytosaur, an extinct crocodile-like aquatic animal, although twice it has been confused with dinosaurs (once accidentally). Its remains come from the Upper Triassic of Europe. Two species are known of this animal: the type species, "Termatosaurus albertii", named by Meyer and T. Plieninger in 1844; and "T. crocodilinus", by Quenstedt (1858). It is very obscure and apparently considered to be dubious.

It had been at least once considered to be a dinosaur, which got it onto Internet dinosaur genera lists. At some point, a compiler accidentally added species from the adjoining "Tetragonosaurus", a genus now known to be based on juvenile duckbill remains. These erroneous species were "T. praeceps" and "T. cranibrevis" (="Lambeosaurus lambei"), and "T. erectofrons" (="Corythosaurus casuarius").

References

Right:
* [http://www.dinosauria.com/dml/names/phyto.htm#T true identity of "Termatosaurus"] Mistaken:(Both of these pages have accidental transpositions of species of "Tetragonosaurus" onto this genus)
* http://home.online.no/~padron/t.htm
* http://the_dinosauria.tripod.com/tv.html