In the early Triassic, evolution experimented with many different types of reptiles. After it "threw out" the mammal-like synapsids, it decided to test Rhynchosaurs. Rhynchosaurs became very successful during the earlier part of this period. This can certainly be seen by its geographic distribution. Rhynchosaur fossils have been found in all parts of the world except Australia. One species in particular species was Scaphonyx from Brazil. From these fossils, scientists have determined that Rhyncosaurs were quite cumbersome. They were about 6 feet in length. Rhynchosaurs had large "nutcracker" jaws that worked somewhat like tongs. Scientists once thought that these might have been used to open the shells of mollusks to eat, but now it seems that Rhynchosaurs ate plants and used their jaws to eat nuts, like a parrot. There were no Rhyncosaurs by the end of the Triassic. Today, the only Rhynchophelian is the tuatara. It lives off the coast of New Zealand and it is up to 2 feet long. The tuatara is a nocturnal animal and lives in a burrow during the daytime. Scientists have shown that these creatures may live for over a century, taking 20 years to mature and 50 years more to grow! The tiny geographic extent of the tuatara is only a glimpse at what the rhynchophelians have been during the Triassic.

Rhyncosaurs (Scaphonyx)

The modern Tuatara