TIIM TKIA88IC SYSTKM 



353 



had only three toes, their footprints greatly resemble those of gigantic 

 three-toed birds, and were supposed for a long time to have been 

 made by such birds ; other genera had four or five toes. 



Still more characteristic of the Trias are reptiles belonging to 

 tin- 'livisions known as Placodontia, Rhynchocephalia, Dicynodontia, 

 and Theriodontia. The genus Placodus is found in Germany. 



Fig. 114. TKIA8SIC VERTEBRATA. 



a, ft, c. Footiniuts. skull, and tooth of Mustodonsaurus. 

 tl. Diptcronotus cyphus. 



The Khynchocephalia are represented by Hyperodapedon (which 

 is allied to the modern Sphenodon of New Zealand), Teler- 

 peton, Leptopleuron, and Khynchosaurus. The Dicynodonts made 

 their appearance in Permian time (see pp. 327 and 348), but 

 the typical genus Dicynodon was first found in the Lower Trias 

 of South Africa ; it has not yet been found in the Trias of 

 Europe. 



The following are some of the more characteristic fossils of the 

 German and English Trias : 



2A 



