Archeopelta

Archeopelta Temporal range: Middle - Late Triassic, 230–225 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Life restoration of Archeopelta arborensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Family:	†Doswelliidae
Genus:	†Archeopelta
Type species
Archeopelta arborensis Desojo, Ezcurra & Schultz, 2011

Archeopelta is an extinct genus of carnivorous archosauriform from the late Middle or early Late Triassic period (late Ladinian to early Carnian stage). It was a 2 m (6 ft) long predator which lived in what is now southern Brazil. Its exact phylogenetic placement within Archosauriformes is uncertain; it was originally classified as a doswelliid, but subsequently it was argued to be an erpetosuchid archosaur.

It is known from the holotype CPEZ-239a, which consists of partial skeleton and braincase. It was found in the Santa Maria 1 Sequence, previously known as the Santa Maria Formation, in Xiniquá region, São Pedro do Sul of Rio Grande do Sul State. It was first named by Julia B. Desojo, Martin D. Ezcurra and Cesar L. Schultz in 2011 and the type species is Archeopelta arborensis. The generic name comes from archeo, ancient in Greek and pelta, armoured, in reference to its thick osteoderms. The specific name is derived from arbor, tree in Latin, in reference to Sanga da Árvore where the fossils were found.