Early Triassic Fauna

from the Dinosaur Collector

updated 061506

The Permian extinction killed of 90% of all land species.  This left a limited fauna for the Early Triassic with much lower diversity than in the Permian.  The Dicynodonts  especially Lystrosaurus are the most common members of every land based community and to a lesser extent the early Cynodont Thrinaxodon.  There was a major revival of the amphibious labyrinthidonts. The initial Triassic faunal assemblage is often referred to as the Lystrosaurus zone.

Lystrosaurus  was a sheep sized dicynodont that survived the Permian extinction and filled the empty habitats.  Originally seen as a aquatic animal like the modern hippo, it had no special adaptations for aquatic life.  It may even have been a borrowing animal.  Tasmanisaurus was an Australian version of the better known Protersuchus.   

Lystrosaurus and Tasmanisaurus from Cadbury Yowies.  Yowies are an Australian term for the local Big Foot.  Cadbury has produced several series of premiums based on Australian wide life including extinct species.   They appear to have only been marketed in Australia, New Zealand and to a lesser extent the UK.  They come in a small package with an information sheet.  The figures are then put together like a puzzle. Australia has only a limited number of dinosaur discoveries. By the third series they broadened the dinosaur line to include animals found outside Australia. 

Lystrosaurus has been found on every continent including Antarctica.  It was an important part of proving the theory of continental drift.

 Kaiyodo gives the Lystrosaurus from its Dino Tales line a sprawling reptilian look.  Sold as premiums in boxes of chocolates, the Choco Eggs were a big seller in Japan.  There are several series like the Australian Yowies,  Dino Tales being the prehistoric line.  The original series were re-released in different color schemes. There were also rare magazine releases so that collecting them is extremely involved.  They do not seem have been made available in the US on any scale.

 The early archesosaur Euparkeria was a minor component of the Early Triassic fauna..  Diaspids had not been especially prominent in the preceding Permian.  The evolution of this group seems to have been inhibited by the pelycosaurs ( Dimetrodon and relatives) and their descendants. They seem to have filled filled specialized aquatic and flying niches waiting for their chance.   

 

(Scroll right ) Popular figure companies have largely ignored the Triassic.  The Starlux company from France is the exception.  Starting on the left is Euparkeria once thought to be a dinosaur ancestor.  Then there are the labyrinthidonts and a Mastodonsaurus.  In the lower left a paper Thrinaxodon and upper right the aquatic paper Protersuchus note the characteristic hook at the end of the snout.

Erythosuchus africanus was five metres in overall length, with a stocky body and an enormous head a metre in length.  The size of a large crocodile these great carnivores held their heads aloft on massive necks, and their huge teeth and tremendous jaws would have enabled them to feed easily on other animal prey. Yet these animals, the largest predators of their time, were too heavy and clumbsy to be able to actively pursue and run down prey.  Like the modern crocodile or komodo-dragon lizard, they would have been ambush-preditors, lying in wait for prey behind thick vegetation, then rushing out in a short burst of speed, and quickly overwhelming the helpless victim with their tremendous jaws.

From King Kong series. Picture by Fred R. Hinojosa.

Triadobatrachus lived in Madagascar and was about 4 inches long.  The hip structure indicates it swam using a kicking motion.  This may have evolved in a jumping action in its descendants. 

PlayVision Triadobatrachus from the prehistoric amphibian series.  A brief an excellent series that has become much sought after.

At the close of the Early Triassic or it may actually be Middle Triassic, following the Lystrosaurus interlude, a new fauna characterized by the large carnivore Cynognathus and the large herbivore dicynodont Kannemeyeria.   

(Scroll right ) Cynognathus has a long  history  in dinosaur figure sets going back to the Marx play sets.  Above are two figures from the Play Vision mini dinosaur set.  The small green figure is the Mech version with two Panosh dicynodont figures.  The addition of tusks would make the figures more convincing.  Scrolling right is the Starlux  Cynognathus.  

In the Middle Triassic the rauschid archosaurs become the top predators. Cynodonts are the most common small to medium size carnivores.   Dicynodonts become specialized as large plant eaters.  The buck toothed rhynchosaurs and armored aetosaur's are the most common herbivores.  

MPC imitated the Marx figure giving Cynognathus a sprawling reptilian look.  A reconstruction with more of a Tasmanian Devil appearance is popular now.  Blood vessels imply the presence of whiskers on the muzzle  suggesting that cynodonts had developed hair. 

MPC Cynognathus painted by Fred R. Hinojosa

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