Riojasuchus
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Riojasuchus Temporal range: Late Triassic, 217–215 Ma |
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| Holotype skull and diagram | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Pseudosuchia |
| Family: | †Ornithosuchidae |
| Genus: |
†Riojasuchus Bonaparte, 1969 |
| Type species | |
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Riojasuchus tenuisceps Bonaparte, 1969 |
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Riojasuchus is an extinct genus of quadrupedal crurotarsan archosaur. Riojasuchus is a member of Ornithosuchidae, a family of facultatively bipedal carnivores that were geographically widespread during the Late Triassic. Two other genera, Ornithosuchus and Venaticosuchus, are currently known. The holotype specimen is PVL 3827. It was found in the Los Colorados Formation.
The holotype specimen is PVL 3827, consisting of a mostly complete crania and a partial postcrania. A majority of the postcranial material was preserved. The skeleton was found with others in the upper section of the Los Colorados Formation. Other that the holotype, it is known from three skeletons
The skull of the type specimen is 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long, and has a large, curved snout and short mandibles.
Many characteristics were identified by Bonaparte in 1969. They are listed below:
Riojasuchus is a member of Ornithosuchidae, a family of facultatively bipedal carnivores that were geographically widespread during the Late Triassic. Two other genera, Ornithosuchus and Venaticosuchus, are currently known. The group was originally considered to be related to dinosaurs, before many phylogenetical analysises.
Below is a phylogenetic cladogram by Butler et al. in 2011 showing the cladistics of Archosauriformes, focusing mostly on Pseudosuchia: Clade names follow Nesbitt 2011.
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