[gleeaikin]

Were the parareptiles the same as the therapsids? My understanding was that the therapsids, which were a strong protomammalian group before the great Permian extinction, died out but were the precursors of the small mammals that persisted throughout the reign of the dinosaurs, which then flourished after the dinosaur extinction 65 mya.

[SunkenCiv]

Parareptiles -- Figure: The phylogeny of the parareptiles.



Known from the Late Devonian to the Early Triassic, the Anthracosauria probably had a very short amphibian stage of their evolution and gave rise appearently to all groups of reptiles.

*and*

Phylogeny of Therapsida -- Steven M. Carr



Plesiomorphic characters in blue; apomorphic characters of three extant Therian lineages in red. Evolution of the characteristic Dentary-Squamosal jaw occurs gradually in Cynodont lineage.

(I used a width= tag to avoid putting the whammy on your pings screen, and for that matter this topic, try right-click open in new window to view the lower image)