Pareiasauria

Pareiasauria

 

a suborder of extinct Late Permian reptiles of the subclass Cotylosauria. The reptiles had a short, broad skull with cavities resembling large honeycomb cells. There were lateral processes on the cheekbones. The teeth had crenate crowns adapted for grinding vegetable substances. The limbs were massive. Some species had a dorsal shell of bony plates. The reptiles ranged in length from approximately 1 m to 3 m. A typical representative was Skutosaurus, of which several skeletons were found in the early 20th century in the Severnaia Dvina. Pareiasauria inhabited southern Africa and regions west of the Urals.