Triassic Animals
Many animals such as vertebrates, reptiles came into existence in the Triassic period, which happens to be the first period of the Mesozoic Era. It was an evolution period where many forms of life were wiped away, while many new ones, including the ancestor of many modern plants, evolved. |
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Bivalves, ammonoids and brachiopods dominated, brachiopods, Spirifid, Terebratulid and Rhynchonellids flourished.
Invertebrates such as echinoderms, including starfish, and sea urchins developed. Contemporary scleractinian corals emerged. Phytoplanktons are also supposed to be present during this time. Many insect were also believed to be present.
Cold blooded animals outnumbered the warm blooded ones. Some of the clod blooded or archosauromorphs were Prolacertiformes, Archosauroformes, Trilophosauridae and Rhynchosauria.
At the end of Triassic period, the archosaur group developed, such as dinosaurs and the pterosaurs, and small earthly sphenosuchian crocodylomorpha.
Scores of small lizard-like non-archosaurian reptiles such as Younginiformes and Paliguanids were also present. Some short plant-eater lizards Procolophonids were quite widespread.
Temnospondyls including Capitosauria, Mastodonsaurus, and Ceratodan lungfish were commonly found in the rivers, ponds and lakes. Marine reptiles like ichthyosaurs, lizard-like pachypleurosaurs and thalattosaurs, and beak necked Pistosaurs could be found in those seas where population was very low.
The extinction of therapsids and parareptiles was followed by dawn of new reign of Synapsids, including the more advanced therapsids and cynodonts. Cynodonts were mainly in small in size, while largest types such as traversodontids, like Exaeretodon, were later seen.
Mammals which first appeared in this end of Triassic period remained unnoticed in the next phases of Mesozoic Era, and later recognized only when the dinosaurs became extinct. The first frog and lizard also marked their advent in this period.
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