Lanthanosuchus

Lanthanosuchus was a creature of the past
A parareptile with a skull that was flat
It lived in the Permian, long before the dinosaurs
It was found in Tatarstan, among the river shores

It had a sculpted head and a crocodile-like name
But it was not related to the reptiles we know today
It belonged to a group called Hallucicrania
Which means "dream skulls" in Latin, a fitting name for their mania

Lanthanosuchus was a mystery for a long time
Its fossils were rare and hard to find
But now we know more about its features and its kin
Thanks to the work of paleontologists who dug them from the sand

Lanthanosuchus was a wonder of the ancient world
A unique and fascinating animal
It may be gone forever, but it lives on in our mind
As we imagine how it looked and how it lived its life

Lanthanosuchus was an extinct genus of parareptile that lived in the Late Permian period, about 268 to 255 million years ago.
It was found at Isheevo in Tatarstan, a republic of Russia in Eastern Europe.

Lanthanosuchus was an extinct genus of parareptile that lived in the Late Permian period, about 268 to 255 million years ago.

It was found in Tatarstan, Russia.

Lanthanosuchus had a length of about 75 cm and a very flat and sculpted skull.

It had temporal openings and enlarged eye sockets that extended downwards.

It belonged to the family Lanthanosuchidae, which is classified as either a reptiliomorph or a parareptile, depending on the phylogenetic analysis.

This animal is known from two species: L. watsoni and L. qualeni, the latter of which is considered dubious.

Lanthanosuchus may have been adapted to living in aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats, as its skull resembles that of modern crocodiles.