Ornithosuchidae
| Ornithosuchids Temporal range: Late Triassic, 228–203.6 Ma |
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| Life restoration of a Venaticosuchus rusconii | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Pseudosuchia |
| Family: |
†Ornithosuchidae von Huene, 1914 |
| Type species | |
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†Ornithosuchus woodwardi Newton, 1894 |
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| Genera | |
†Ornithosuchus
†Riojasuchus
†Venaticosuchus
Ornithosuchidae is an extinct family of reptiles from the Triassic period that were distantly related to crocodilians. They are classified as crurotarsan archosaurs. Ornithosuchids were quadrupedal and facultatively bipedal, meaning they had the ability to walk on two legs for short periods of time. They have distinctive downturned snouts and uniquely shaped ankle bones that distinguish them from other archosaurs. Ornithosuchids were geographically widespread during the Carnian and Norian stages of the Late Triassic. Three genera, Ornithosuchus, Venaticosuchus and Riojasuchus are presently known. The family was first erected by German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1914.
Ornithosuchids can be identified by the presence of an arched diastema, or gap between the teeth. When the jaw is closed, two large curved dentary teeth fit into the diastema, which is positioned between the premaxilla and maxilla. There are two shallow depressions on the wall of the diastema to accommodate these teeth. The large dentary teeth of Ornithosuchus and Riojasuchus are placed behind a smaller procumbent dentary tooth that sticks out from the jaw. This type of tooth position is not seen in any other basal archosaurs. Another characteristic feature of ornithosuchids is their unusual downturned, overhanging snout, seen in Riojasuchus and Venaticosuchus, but not Ornithosuchus.
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