# Paracyclotosaurus

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Extinct genus of temnospondyls

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Paracyclotosaurus Temporal range: Middle Triassic 247.2–242.0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Paracyclotosaurus davidi in the Natural History Museum of London: specimen NHMUK PV R 6000. Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Tetrapoda Order: †Temnospondyli Suborder: †Stereospondyli Clade: †Capitosauria Family: †Mastodonsauridae Genus: †Paracyclotosaurus Watson, 1958 Species †P. davidi Watson, 1958 (type) †P. crookshanki Damiani, 2001 †P. morganorum Damiani and Hancox, 2003

***Paracyclotosaurus*** (meaning "Near Wheeled Lizard") is an [extinct](/source/Extinction) [genus](/source/Genus) of [temnospondyl](/source/Temnospondyli), which would have appeared similar to today's [salamander](/source/Salamander) – but much larger, measuring up to 2.45 m (8.0 ft) long and weighing between 159 and 365 kg (351 and 805 lb).[1] It lived in the [Middle Triassic](/source/Middle_Triassic) period, about 235 million years ago, and fossils have been found in [Australia](/source/Australia), [India](/source/India), and [South Africa](/source/South_Africa).

Although they could live on dry land, *Paracyclotosaurus* probably spent most of its time in water. They had flattened bodies and elongated heads, almost 60 centimetres (2 ft) long, that vaguely resembled those of modern [crocodiles](/source/Crocodile).[2]

## Discovery and naming

*Paracyclotosaurus davidi* restoration

The type species *P. davidi* is only known from one complete specimen recovered from Australia. It was discovered by quarry miners in a brick pit in [St. Peters in Sydney, New South Wales](/source/St_Peters%2C_New_South_Wales). The discovery, made in 1910, was from a large [ironstone](/source/Ironstone) nodule within [Ashfield Shale](/source/Ashfield_Shale) which contained the nearly complete skeleton. The reconstruction was finished in July 1914, and was initially determined to be closely related to *[Cyclotosaurus](/source/Cyclotosaurus)*.[3] The original bone of the *P. davidi* holotype specimen was in very bad condition, but after the bone was removed from the hard ironstone matrix, casts were made from the matrix mold, and a mold was made from those casts. Casts of the original bone show a fair amount of detail.

*Paracyclotosaurus davidii* was named after Sir [Edgeworth David](/source/Edgeworth_David), the man who arranged for the [British Museum (Natural History)](/source/Natural_History_Museum%2C_London) to acquire the specimen.[3]

*Paracyclotosaurus davidi* skeletal diagram

*Paracyclotosaurus davidi* skeletal reconstruction (NHMUK PV R 6000)

*Paracyclotosaurus crookshanki* life restoration

## References

[Wikispecies](/source/Wikispecies) has information related to ***[Paracyclotosaurus](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Search/Paracyclotosaurus)***.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Paracyclotosaurus](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Paracyclotosaurus).

- [Paleontology portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Paleontology)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Hart, L.J.; Campione, N.E.; McCurry, M.R. (2022). ["On the estimation of body mass in temnospondyls: a case study using the large-bodied Eryops and Paracyclotosaurus"](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fpala.12629). *Palaeontology*. **65** (6) e12629. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/pala.12629](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fpala.12629). [hdl](/source/Hdl_(identifier)):[1959.4/104060](https://hdl.handle.net/1959.4%2F104060).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-EoDP_2-0)** Palmer, D., ed. (1999). *The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals*. London: Marshall Editions. p. 53. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-84028-152-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84028-152-9).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Watson1958_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Watson1958_3-1) D. Watson (1958). ["A New Labyrinthodont (*Paracyclotosaurus*) From Trias of New South Wales"](https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2290486). *Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History)*. **3**.

- Patricia Vickers-Rich and Thomas Hewett Rich 1993, Wildlife of Gondwana, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7301-0315-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7301-0315-3) Reed.

## External links

- [The Paleobiology Database: *Paracyclotosaurus*](https://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=displayCollectionDetails&collection_no=38348)

- [Paracyclotosaurus davidi at the Natural History Museum](https://web.archive.org/web/20110702203901/http://www.trieboldpaleontology.com/specimens/natural-history-museum/amphibians-nhm/paracyclotosaurus-davidi-nhm-amphibian/)

v t e Stereospondyli Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Tetrapodomorpha Order: Temnospondyli Tetrapodomorpha see Tetrapodomorpha Temnospondyli see Temnospondyli Stereospondyli see below↓ Stereospondyli Stereospondyli Arachana Capulomala Peltobatrachus Lapillopsidae Lapillopsis Manubrantlia Rhigerpeton Rotaurisaurus Rhinesuchidae Australerpeton? Broomistega Laccosaurus Parapytanga? Rastosuchus Rhineceps Rhinesuchoides Rhinesuchus Uranocentrodon Lydekkerinidae Chomatobatrachus Cryobatrachus Deltacephalus Eolydekkerina Indobenthosuchus Luzocephalus? Lydekkerina Capitosauria Antarctosuchus Bukobaja Calmasuchus Capitosaurus Cherninia Cyclotosaurus Edingerella Eocyclotosaurus Eryosuchus Heptasaurus Huangfuchuansuchus Jammerbergia Kestrosaurus Kupferzellia Mastodonsaurus Meyerosuchus Odenwaldia Paracyclotosaurus Parotosuchus Quasicyclotosaurus Procyclotosaurus Promastodonsaurus Rhadalognathus Samarabatrachus Sassenisaurus Sclerothorax Selenocara Stanocephalosaurus Stenotosaurus Subcyclotosaurus Tatrasuchus Vladlenosaurus Volgasaurus Volgasuchus Warrenisuchus Watsonisuchus Wellesaurus Wetlugasaurus Xenotosuchus Yuanansuchus Trematosauria see below↓ Trematosauria Trematosauria Almasaurus Bothriceps Callistomordax Chinlestegophis Keratobrachyops Laidleria Latiscopus Qantas Rileymillerus Syrtosuchus Uruyiella Benthosuchidae Benthosuchus Kwatisuchus Trematosauridae Angusaurus Aphaneramma Cosgriffius Erythrobatrachus Gonioglyptus Hyperokynodon Icanosaurus Indolyrocephalus Inflectosaurus Lyrocephaliscus Microposaurus Panchetosaurus Platystega Prothoosuchus Stoschiosaurus Tertrema Tertremoides Thoosuchus Tirraturhinus Trematolestes Trematosuchoides Trematosaurus Trematosuchus Trematotegmen Wantzosaurus Metoposauridae Anaschisma Apachesaurus Arganasaurus Buettnererpeton Dutuitosaurus Metoposaurus Panthasaurus Rhytidosteidae Boreopelta Mahavisaurus Nanolania Peltostega Pneumatostega Rhytidosteus Sangaia Trucheosaurus Derwentiinae Arcadia Acerastia Deltasaurus Derwentia Indobrachyops Rewana Chigutisauridae Arenaerpeton Chigutisaurus Compsocerops Koolasuchus Pelorocephalus Siderops Brachyopidae Banksiops Bathignathus Batrachosaurus Batrachosuchoides Batrachosuchus Blinasaurus Brachyops Gobiops Hadrokkosaurus Notobrachyops Platycepsion Sinobrachyops Vanastega Vigilius Xenobrachyops Plagiosauridae Gerrothorax Megalophthalma Plagiobatrachus Plagiorophus Plagiosaurus Plagioscutum Plagiosternum Plagiosuchus See also: Trematosauroidea Metoposauroidea Rhytidosteoidea Brachyopomorpha Brachyopoidea Plagiosauroidea Category

Taxon identifiers Paracyclotosaurus Wikidata: Q977782 Wikispecies: Paracyclotosaurus GBIF: 4815939 IRMNG: 1035070 Open Tree of Life: 4948414 Paleobiology Database: 37099

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Paracyclotosaurus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracyclotosaurus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracyclotosaurus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.