Lagerpetidae

Lagerpetidae is an extinct family of small, mostly bipedal archosaurs known from Triassic fossils. Evidence places lagerpetids close to pterosaurs on the archosaur evolutionary tree.

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Archosauria: A major group of reptiles that includes crocodilians, dinosaurs, birds, and pterosaurs. Lagerpetids belong within this broad reptile lineage.
Bipedalism: Locomotion using two legs for support and movement. Lagerpetid hindlimb anatomy indicates that many members moved primarily on two legs.
Lagerpeton: A genus of small Triassic lagerpetids known from fossils in Argentina. Its name supplied the family name, and its bones helped establish the group.
Triassic: The geological period from about 252 to 201 million years ago, preceding the Jurassic. Lagerpetid fossils come from this period, when archosaurs diversified.
Pterosauria: An extinct group of flying reptiles that lived from the Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous. Lagerpetids are among the closest known relatives of pterosaurs outside the flying group.
Phylogenetics: The study of evolutionary relationships among organisms using shared evidence. Comparisons of anatomical characters place lagerpetids near the origin of pterosaurs.
Dromomeron: A genus of Triassic lagerpetids known from fossil sites in the Americas. Its fossils expanded the family's known geographic and anatomical range.
Santa Maria Formation: A Triassic geological formation in southern Brazil that preserves diverse terrestrial vertebrate fossils. Its deposits preserve lagerpetids including Ixalerpeton.
Dinosauromorpha: The archosaur group containing dinosaurs and their closest non-dinosaur relatives. Lagerpetids occupy an early-branching position within this wider group.
Cervical vertebra: A vertebra forming part of an animal's neck. Lagerpetid neck bones preserve anatomical traits used in comparisons with pterosaurs.