Induan

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The Induan (also known as the Feixianguanian) is the first stage of the Early Triassic epoch. It spans the time between 251 ± 0.4 Ma and 249.7 ± 0.7 Ma (million years ago). This stage follows the mass extinction event of the late Permian period. Both global biodiversity and community-level (alpha) diversity remained low through much of this stage of the Triassic. Much of the world remained almost lifeless, deserted, hot, and dry. The lystrosaurids (below) and the proterosuchids (below) were the only groups of land animals to dominate during the Induan stage. Other animals, such as the ammonites, fishes, insects, and the tetrapods (cynodonts, amphibians, reptiles, etc.) remained rare. Both the seas and much of the freshwater during the Induan were anoxic.

[edit] Vertebrate Fauna

[edit] Archosaurs

Archosaurs of the Induan
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Proterosuchus		South Africa	The largest land reptile during the Early Triassic period, equivalent in size to today's Komodo Dragons. It looked somewhat similar to a primitive crocodile, and shared many of their modern features like long jaws, powerful neck muscles, short legs and a lengthy tail, while retaining several of its own unique features such as its long legs, and hooked shaped mouth.	Proterosuchus
Prolacerta		South Africa, Fremouw Formation, Antarctica

[edit] Conodonts

†Conodonts of the Induan
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Hindeodus parvus

[edit] Procolophonomorphs

†Procolophonomorpha of the Induan
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Procolophon	Late Permian to Late Triassic	South Africa	A genus of lizard-shaped reptiles	Procolophon Nyctiphruretus
Nyctiphruretus	Induan/Olenekian	Mezen River, European Russia	A lizard-like looking reptile which diet consisted of aquatic plants. Adults discovered averaged 36 cm in length with a 4.4 cm skull

[edit] Temnospondyls

†Temnospondyli of the Induan
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Wetlugasaurus		Northern Russia		Wetlugasaurus

[edit] Therapsids (non-mammalian)

†Non-mammalian Therapsids of the Induan
Taxa	Presence	Location	Description	Images
Galesaurus				Lystrosaurus Scaloposaurus Thrinaxodon
Lystrosaurus	Late Permian to Early Triassic	Antarctica, India and South Africa	The most common group of terrestrial vertebrates during the Early Triassic: for a while 95% of land vertebrates were Lystrosaurus
Scaloposaurus			A therocephalian
Thrinaxodon	?	South Africa, Antarctica	A cat-sized cynodont. Many scientists suggest that the pits on the skull indicate that Thrinaxodon had whiskers and, therefore, probably had a covering of fur. There are suggestions that it was warm-blooded. Even so, it still had a reptilian skeleton and laid eggs.