Paleorhinus bransoni

Paleorhinus Temporal range: Late Triassic, Carnian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skull of the P. angustifrons holotype with CT scan
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Phytosauria
Genus:	†Paleorhinus Williston, 1904
Type species
†Paleorhinus bransoni Williston, 1904
Species
†P. angustifrons (Kuhn, 1936 [originally Francosuchus angustifrons]) †P. bransoni Williston, 1904

Paleorhinus (Greek: "Old Nose") is an extinct genus of basal phytosaur known from the Late Triassic (late Carnian stage) of Texas and Wyoming, United States, Bavaria, Germany and possibly Poland. It contains two valid species, the type species: Paleorhinus bransoni and Paleorhinus angustifrons.Paleorhinus had a length of about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet).

P. bransoni is the type species of Paleorhinus. It was first described and named by Samuel Wendell Williston in 1904 on the basis of the holotype FMNH UC 632, a complete but fragmentary skull that has been extensively reconstructed with plaster. It was collected at Squaw Creek of Fremont County, Wyoming, from the Carnian-aged Popo Agie Formation of the Chugwater Group. The holotype was thoroughly described by Lees (1907). Hunt and Lucas (1991) referred PPM P217 to P. bransoni. It is an incomplete skull that was collected at Palo Duro Canyon, Randall County, west Texas, from the Carnian-aged Camp Springs Member of the Tecovas Formation. Later, Long and Murry (1995) referred additional material, including isolated postcranial remains, to P. bransoni from the Carnian-aged Cooper Canyon Formation of the Dockum Group, Howard County, Texas. TMM 31025-172, a complete skull, was collected at Otis Chalk Quarry 1 (also known as SMU 122), TMM 31100-8, 101, 175, 418, 419, 453 were collected at Otis Chalk Quarry 3, and TMM 31185-11, 38 were collected at Otis Chalk Quarry 3A.