The term '
prehistoric reptile' covers a broad category that is intended to help distinguish the
dinosaurs from other prehistoric reptiles. As the dinosaurs, because of their long and successful reign for many millions of years, are almost exclusively dealt with in their own category of
prehistoric life.
The category covers all the non-dinosaurian reptiles which are often erroneously considered to be
dinosaurs, such as the sea faring varieties of
plesiosaurs and the flying
pterosaurs. Also included are
ancient crocodiles such as
Deinosuchus.
For information on the
mammal-like "reptiles" (
therapsids) and other
amniotes often considered reptiles (including the well-known ''
Dimetrodon''), which are not part of the clade
Sauropsida (with which "Reptilia" is generally synonymized), see
Synapsid (amniotes related to mammals). For information on the ancestors of reptiles, traditionally classified as
labyrinthodont amphibians, see
Reptiliomorpha (reptile-like
tetrapods).
List of prehistoric reptiles by group
===Early
reptiles===
★ ''
Silvanerpeton''
★ '
Captorhinids'
★ '
Protorothyridids'
★
★ ''
Hylonomus''
===Early
anapsids===
★ ''
Brasileosaurus''
★ ''
Mesosaurus''
★ '
Millerettids'
★
★ ''
Milleretta''
★ '
Bolosaurids'
★ '
Pareiasaurs'
★
★ ''
Bradysaurus''
★
★ ''
Scutosaurus''
★
★ ''
Anthodon''
===
Turtles,
tortoises and
terrapins===
★ ''
Archelon''
★ ''
Proganochelys''
===Early
diapsids===
★ '
Araeoscelidans'
★
★ ''
Petrolacosaurus''
★
★ ''
Spinoaequalis''
★
★ ''
Araeoscelis''
★ '
Avicephalans'
★
★ ''
Protoavis''
★
★ ''
Longisquama''
★
★ ''
Coelurosauravus''
★ ''
Champsosaurus''
★ ''
Youngina''
===
Ichthyosaurs===
★ ''
Shonisaurus''
★ ''
Ichthyosaurus''
★ ''
Ophthalmosaurus''
★ ''
Temnodontosaurus''
===
Plesiosaurs,
placodonts, and
nothosaurs===
★ ''
Nothosaurus''
★ ''
Placodus''
★ ''
Cymbospondylus''
★ ''
Elasmosaurus''
★ ''
Kronosaurus''
★ ''
Liopleurodon''
★ ''
Macroplata''
★ ''
Plesiosaurus''
★ ''
Umoonasaurus''
===
Snakes and
lizards===
★ ''
Kuehneosaurus''
★ '
Lizards'
★
★ ''
Megalania''
★
★ ''
Yabeinosaurus''
★ '
Mosasaurs'
★
★ ''
Mosasaurus''
★
★ ''
Selmasaurus''
★
★ ''
Tylosaurus''
★ '
Snakes'
★
★ ''
Najash''
★
★ ''
Haasiophis''
★
★ ''
Pachyrhachis''
===Early
archosaurs===
★ ''
Garjaina''
★ '
Trilophosaurs'
★ '
Rhynchosaurs'
★
★ ''
Hyperodepedon''
★ '
Ctenosaurids'
★
★ ''
Lotosaurus''
★ '
Prolacertiformes'
★
★ ''
Protorosaurus''
★
★ ''
Sharovipteryx''
★
★ ''
Tanystropheus''
★ '
Proterosuchids'
★
★ ''
Chasmatosuchus''
★ '
Erythrosuchids'
★ ''
Euparkeria''
★ '
Phytosaurs'
★
★ ''
Centemodon''
★
★ ''
Belodon''
★ ''
Ornithosuchus''
★ ''
Revueltosaurus''
★ '
Aetosaurs'
★ '
Rauisuchians'
★
★ ''
Postosuchus''
★
★ ''
Shuvosaurus''
★
★ ''
Teratosaurus''
★
★ ''
Gracilisuchus''
★ ''
Hallopus''
★ ''
Lagosuchus''
===
Crocodiles===
★ ''
Dakosaurus''
★ ''
Deinosuchus''
★ ''
Goniopholis''
★ ''
Protosuchus''
★ ''
Sarcosuchus''
===Flying
reptiles (
Pterosaurs)===
★ ''
Anurognathus''
★ ''
Caulkicephalus''
★ ''
Cearadactylus''
★ ''
Dimorphodon''
★ ''
Dsungaripterus''
★ ''
Eudimorphodon''
★ ''
Feilongus''
★ ''
Nurhachius''
★ ''
Pteranodon''
★ ''
Pterodactylus''
★ ''
Pterodaustro''
★ ''
Quetzalcoatlus''
★ ''
Rhamphorhynchus''
★ ''
Scaphognathus''
★ ''
Sordes''
★ ''
Tapejara''
See also
★
Animal
★
Dinosaurs
★
List of dinosaurs
★
List of dinosaur classifications
★
Prehistoric life
★
Reptile