GnathostomataPoposauroideaYPM 57100

Poposaurus gracilis

Poposaurus gracilis skeletal reconstruction, left lateral view, length ~4.1 m.
Scale bar = 50 centimeters
Taxon
Poposaurus gracilis Mehl, 1915
Specimen
YPM 57100
Reconstructed length
~4.1 m (13 feet)
View
Left lateral
Drawing
© Scott Hartman
Drawn
2017, revised 2026
Clade
  1. Gnathostomata
  2. Tetrapoda
  3. Amniota
  4. Sauropsida
  5. Archosauromorpha
  6. Archosauria
  7. Pseudosuchia
  8. Poposauroidea

See how Poposaurus gracilis compares to any other animal →

Poposaurus was (surprise!) a poposauroid, living in the Late Triassic of the southwestern United States. Despite looking superficially like a theropod dinosaur, poposaurs were on the crocodile line of archosaurs. Poposaurus seemed to have walked habitually on its hind legs, which is a striking example of convergence, and helps make it resemble the early predatory dinosaurs it shared its habitat with.

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