pareiasaur

fossil reptile group

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Last updated

July 1, 2026

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Pareiasaurs were a group of extinct, early reptiles that lived during the Permian Period, approximately 299 to 251 million years ago. These were not dinosaurs but were among the first very large land vertebrates.1

Key characteristics of pareiasaurs include:
* Massive bodies and strong limbs.1
* Grotesque skulls often featuring bony protuberances.1
* Herbivorous diet, unusual for reptiles of that era.1
* Leaf-shaped teeth along the jaw margins and on the palate.1

The family Pareiasauridae was widely distributed, and genera like Bradysaurus are known from fossils found in South Africa. Pareiasaurs are classified within the subclass Parareptilia or Anapsida.1234

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Bradysaurus
…larger group of reptiles called pareiasaurs, which were characterized by massive bodies, strong limbs and limb supports, and grotesque skulls with many bony protuberances. Pareiasaurs were not dinosaurs, but they were the first very large land vertebrates and were unusual for their time in that they were herbivorous. Bradysaurus, like…
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…larger group of reptiles called pareiasaurs, which were characterized by massive bodies, strong limbs and limb supports, and grotesque skulls with many bony protuberances. Pareiasaurs were not dinosaurs, but they were the first very large land vertebrates and were unusual for their time in that they were herbivorous. Bradysaurus, like…
Read More