Procolophonoidea

Procolophonoidea is an extinct superfamily of procolophonian parareptiles. Members were characteristically small, stocky, and lizard-like in appearance. Fossils have been found worldwide from many continents including Antarctica.^[1] The first members appeared during the Late Permian in the Karoo Basin of South Africa.^[2]

Procolophonoids Temporal range: 265–201.3 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Middle Wordian - Late Rhaetian
Skeleton of Kapes bentoni (Procolophonidae, Procolophoninae)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	†Parareptilia
Order:	†Procolophonomorpha
Suborder:	†Procolophonia
Superfamily:	†Procolophonoidea Broom, 1939
Families
†Owenettidae †Procolophonidae
Synonyms
Procolophoniformes De Braga & Rieppel, 1997

Taxonomy

Procolophonoidea includes the families Owenettidae and Procolophonidae. Sclerosaurus, which is placed within its own family Sclerosauridae, may be a member of the superfamily as well. In 1997, De Braga and Rieppel defined this same taxon (the oldest common ancestor of Procolophonidae and Owenettidae and all its descendants) using the name Procolophoniformes.^[3]

When the superfamily was constructed in 1956, it was thought to be within the anthracosaur suborder Diadectomorpha.^[4] Since then it has been placed within the suborder Procolophonia along with the pareiasaurs, a group of large herbivorous Permian parareptiles.^[5][6][7][8]

Sclerosaurus armatus

• Procolophonia
  • Procolophonoidea
    • Family Owenettidae
      • Species "Owenetta" kitchingorum
      • Genus Barasaurus
      • Genus Candelaria
      • Genus Owenetta
      • Genus Ruhuhuaria
      • Genus Saurodektes
    • Family Procolophonidae
      • ? Genus Gomphiosauridion
      • ? Genus Kinelia
      • ? Genus Spondylolestes
      • ? Genus Xenodiphyodon
      • Genus Coletta
      • Genus Kitchingnathus
      • Genus Lasasaurus
      • Genus Phaanthosaurus
      • Genus Pintosaurus
      • Genus Sauropareion
      • Genus Tichvinskia
      • Subfamily Leptopleuroninae
      • Subfamily Procolophoninae
      • Subfamily Theledectinae

Cladogram of Procolophonoidea, excluding members of Procolophonidae

Procolophonoidea Owenettidae Barasaurus Owenetta rubidgei Saurodektes "Owenetta" kitchingorum Candelaria Coletta Sauropareion Procolophonidae

Cisneros et al. 2004[9]

Cladogram of Procolophonidae

Procolophonidae Contritosaurus Tichvinskia Procolophon Hypsognathus

Modesto et al. 2001[10]