What is Prionosuchus?
{{italictitle}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = {{geological range|299|272}}[[Cisuralian]] ([[Asselian]] to [[Kungurian]]) | image = Prionosuchus_BW.jpg | image_caption = ''Prionosuchus plummeri'' | taxon = Prionosuchus | authority = Price, 1948<ref>{{BioLib |471459 |''Prionosuchus'' |access-date=30 November 2022}}</ref> | type_species = †'''''Prionosuchus plummeri''''' | type_species_authority = Price, 1948<ref>{{BioLib |471462 |''Prionosuchus plummeri'' |access-date=30 November 2022}}</ref> }} '''''Prionosuchus''''' is a [[genus]] of extremely large [[Temnospondyli|temnospondyl]] [[amphibian]]s from the Middle [[Permian]] (270 million years ago). Its remains were found in [[Brazil]]. ==Description== The fragmentary remains of this animal were found in the [[Parnaiba]] Basin of northeast Brazil.<ref>Price L.I. 1948. Um anfibio Labirinthodonte da formacao Pedra de Fogo, Estado do Maranhao. ''Ministerio da Agricultura, Departamento Nacional da Producao ineral Divisao de Geologia e Mineralogia'', Boletim n. 124, p. 7-32. </ref> With an estimated length of 9 m (30 ft), ''Prionosuchus'' is the largest amphibian ever found. [[Image:Prionosuchus DB.jpg|thumb|right|215px|''Prionosuchus plummeri'']] It had an elongated and tapered snout, numerous sharp teeth, long body, short legs, and a tail adapted for swimming. Cox and Hutchinson re-evaluated ''Prionosuchus'' in 1991 and thought it was synonymous with the genus ''[[Platyoposaurus]]'' from Russia.<ref>Cox C.B. and Hutchinson P. 1991. Fishes and amphibians from the Late Permian Pedrado Fogo Formation of northern Brazil. ''Palaeontology'', '''34''': 561-573</ref> However, ''Platyoposaurus'' had a total length of only 2.5 meters (8.2 ft), which suggested that the two animals were at least different species. The age of the sediments suggested the two were not comtemporaries.<ref>Mussa D & Coimbra AM., 1987, Novas perspectivas de comparação entre as tafofloras permianas (de lenhos) das Bacias do Parnaíba e do Paraná. X Congresso brasileiro de Paleontologia. Rio d