amnhnyc:

A photo of the fossilized skeleton of Scutosaurus on display at the Museum. The animal is quadrupedal with a barrel torso and stout strong legs. ALT

This Fossil Friday, scoot into the weekend with Scutosaurus karpinskii: the “shield lizard.” This large herbivore lived during the Late Permian some 253 million years ago. It’s part of an early group of sauropsids known as pareiasaurs. The pareiasaurs had spikes and thickened knobs around their skulls, as well as peg-like teeth adapted for eating plants. Their fossils have been found in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Spot this one in the Museum’s Hall of Vertebrate Origins!

Photo: © AMNH