Procolophonia

Procolophonia [‚präk·ə·lə′fō·nē·ə]

(paleontology)

A subclass of extinct cotylosaurian reptiles.

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Procolophonia 

a suborder of fossil reptiles of the subclass Cotylosauria that lived in the late Permian and the Triassic. The reptiles were small, measuring about 0.5 m long, and lizardlike. Most fed on insects, but the diet of some included mollusks. The skull was triangular. The conical teeth, which resembled pins, were situated not only on the jaws but also on the palate. The very large orbits seem to indicate a nocturnal way of life. Remains of the reptile have been found on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. In the USSR, remains have been found in the northern European part.