{{Short description|Extinct genus of reptiles}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = [[Late Triassic]], {{Fossil range|220|earliest=235|latest=Rhaetian}} | image = Phytosaurus cylindricodon 23-removebg-preview.png | image_caption = Holotype jaw of ''P. cylindricodon'' | image2 = P. cubicodon holotype.png | image2_caption = Holotype of ''P. cubicodon'' | taxon = Phytosaurus | authority = [[Georg Friedrich von Jaeger|von Jaeger]], 1828 | type_species = {{extinct}}'''''Phytosaurus cylindricodon''''' | type_species_authority = von Jaeger, 1828 | subdivision_ranks = Other species | subdivision = * {{extinct}}''P. cubicodon'' <small>von Jaeger, 1828</small> }}
'''''Phytosaurus''''' (meaning "plant lizard") is a [[nomen dubium|dubious]] genus of [[Extinction|extinct]] [[Parasuchidae|parasuchid]] [[phytosaur]]<ref Name="Lydekker">{{cite book |title= Catalogue of the Fossil Reptilia and Amphibia in the British Museum (Natural History). Part 1. Containing the Orders Ornithosauria, Crocodilia, Dinosauria, Squamata, Rhynchocephalia, and Proterosauria |last= Lydekker |first= Richard |publisher= Elibron.com |isbn= 978-0-543-95654-5 |page= 124 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8wF_tAYCQf0C&q=Phytosaurus&pg=PA124|date= 1899-01-01 }}</ref> found in an outcrop of the [[Keuper]] (likely the [[Exter Formation]])<ref>[[Hermann von Meyer|H. v. Meyer]] and T. Plieninger. (1844). Beiträge zur Paläontologie Württemberg’s, enthaltend die Fossilen Wirbelthierreste aus den Triasgebilden mit Besonderer Rücksicht auf die Labyrinthodonten des Keupers [Contributions to the Paleontology of Württemberg, Including the Fossil Vertebrate Remains from the Triassic Formations with Special Regard to the Labyrinthodonts of the Keupers] 1-132 </ref> in [[Germany]]. ''Phytosaurus'' was the first phytosaur to be described, being done so by [[Georg Friedrich von Jaeger]] in 1828.<ref name=Jaeger1828>G. F. Jaeger. (1828). Über die Fossile Reptilien, Welche in Württemberg Aufgefunden Sind [On the Fossil Reptiles That Are Found in Württemberg]. ''Verlag der Metzler'schen Buchhandlung, Stuttgart'' 1-48</ref> The [[type species]] is '''''P. cylindricodon''''' and a second species, ''P. cubicodon'', is also known.<ref name=Jaeger1828 />
== Discovery and naming == [[File:P. cylindricodon associated elements.png|thumb|200px|left|Associated elements from the holotype of ''P. cylindricodon'']] In 1826, the [[holotype|holotypes]] of both species were discovered in [[Württemberg|Wurttemburg]], [[Germany]] at the "Neckar" site at the base of the hill which [[Wildenau Castle]] stands upon.<ref name="Jaeger1828" /> The holotype of ''P. cylindricodon'' consists of parts of the skull and jaws, with natural casts of the teeth which, however, did not preserve their conical form but were flattened which led to the misunderstanding they were specialised in eating plant material,<ref name="Jaeger1828" /> and the holotype of ''P. cubicodon'' consists of fragments of the jaw.<ref name="Jaeger1828" /> Both species were named and described by von Jaeger (1828)<ref name="Jaeger1828" /> and were first commented on by [[Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer|von Meyer]] (1837).<ref name=":0">von Meyer, H. (1837) “On the Structure of Fossil Saurians.”</ref>
Many later authors, beginning with [[Richard Owen|Owen]] (1841), have classified both species of ''Phytosaurus'' as ''[[Nomen dubium|nomen dubia]]'' due to the lack of known diagnostic material.<ref name="Lydekker" /> Owen (1841) had ''Phytosaurus'' classified as a synonym of ''[[Mastodonsaurus]]'', an unrelated amphibian, and later ''[[Labyrinthodontia|Labyrinthodon]]'', a now obsolete taxon.<ref>''In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs: Early Mesozoic Tetrapods'' by [[Nicholas Fraser|Nicholas C. Fraser]] and [[Hans-Dieter Sues]]</ref>
A partial phytosaur specimen found at the "UCMP V6333" locality of the [[Dockum Formation]] in [[Texas]] was initially referred to ''Phytosaurus'' sp.,<ref>U.C.M.P. Database. (2005). UCMP collections database. ''University of California Museum of Paleontology''</ref> but has since been reclassified as an indeterminate [[mystriosuchinae|mystriosuchine]] phytosaur.<ref name=Phytosaur13 />
== Description == ''P. cylindricodon'' appeared to have cylindrical teeth, while ''P. cubicodon'' appeared to have teeth that were square in shape.<ref name="Jaeger1828" /><ref name=":0" /> The conical teeth of the ''P. cylindricodon'' holotype appear to show evidence of grinding.<ref name=":0" />
''Phytosaurus'' likely grew up to {{convert|3|m|ft}} long and the skull of ''P. cylindricodon'' likely reached up to {{convert|1|m|ft}} when complete.<ref name=Phytosaur13>{{Cite journal|last1=Stocker|first1=Michelle R.|last2=Butler|first2=Richard J.|date=2013|title=Phytosauria|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/sp379.5|journal=Geological Society, London, Special Publications|volume=379|issue=1|pages=91–117|doi=10.1144/sp379.5|bibcode=2013GSLSP.379...91S|s2cid=219192243|issn=0305-8719|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
== Classification == ''Phytosaurus'' likely belonged to the [[Parasuchidae]], a family of [[Phytosaur|phytosaurs]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kammerer |first1=Christian F. |last2=Butler |first2=Richard J. |last3=Bandyopadhyay |first3=Saswati |last4=Stocker |first4=Michelle R. |date=2016 |editor-last=Angielczyk |editor-first=Kenneth |title=Relationships of the Indian phytosaur Parasuchus hislopi Lydekker, 1885 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/spp2.1022 |journal=Papers in Palaeontology |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=1–23 |doi=10.1002/spp2.1022|s2cid=83780331 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Phytosauria}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q2101575}}
[[Category:Nomina dubia]] [[Category:Phytosauria]] [[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1828]] [[Category:Prehistoric reptile genera]]