Science, Tech, Math › Animals & Nature Lagosuchus Share Flipboard Email Print Lagosuchus (Wikimedia Commons). Animals & Nature Dinosaurs Carnivores Basics Paleontologists Dinosaurs & Birds Herbivores Marine Reptiles Prehistoric Mammals Amphibians Birds Habitat Profiles Mammals Reptiles Wildlife Conservation Insects Marine Life Forestry Evolution View More By Bob Strauss Science Writer B.S., Cornell University Bob Strauss is a science writer and the author of several books, including "The Big Book of What, How and Why" and "A Field Guide to the Dinosaurs of North America." our editorial process Bob Strauss Updated March 17, 2017 Name: Lagosuchus (Greek for "rabbit crocodile"); pronounced LAY-go-SOO-cuss Habitat: Woodlands of South America Historical Period: Middle Triassic (230 million years ago) Size and Weight: About a foot long and one pound Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Tiny size; bipedal posture; long hind legs About Lagosuchus Although it wasn't a true dinosaur, many paleontologists believe Lagosuchus may have been the genus of archosaur from which all dinosaurs subsequently evolved. This tiny reptile certainly had plenty of dinosaur-like characteristics, including long legs, large feet, a flexible tail, and (at least some of the time) a bipedal posture, giving it an uncanny similarity to the first theropods of the middle to late Triassic period. If you doubt that a mighty race of dinosaurs could have evolved from a tiny creature that weighed about a pound, keep in mind that all of today's mammals--including whales, hippopotamuses, and elephants--can trace their lineage back to comparably tiny, shrew-like mammals that scurried under the feet of huge dinosaurs a hundred million years ago! (By the way, among paleontologists, the genus Marasuchus is often used interchangeably with Lagosuchus, since it's represented by more complete fossil remains.)