Proterochampsia: an endemic archosauriform clade from South America

Proterochampsia, a distinct group of crocodile-like archosauriforms, has been identified as endemic to the late Middle and early Late Triassic periods in South America. This clade, which includes genera such as Cerritosaurus, Proterochampsa, Chanaresuchus, Gualosuchus, and Tropidosuchus, was traditionally confused with crocodilians but has since been clarified through new discoveries and phylogenetic studies to be a non-archosaurian archosauriform. Proterochampsia is considered a potential successive sister-taxa of the crown group Archosauria, shedding light on the evolutionary relationships among Triassic archosaurs. The research, based on fossils from the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin in Argentina and the Parana Basin in Brazil, provides significant insights into the biodiversity and evolutionary history of this region during the Triassic period.

Trotteyn, M. J., Arcucci, A. B., & Raugust, T. (2013). Proterochampsia: an endemic archosauriform clade from South America. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 379(1), 59–90. https://doi.org/10.1144/sp379.23