| Riojasuchus Fossil range: Late Triassic | |
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 Riojasuchus tenuiceps | |
| Scientific classification
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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.
Discovery and Naming[]
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.
Description[]
Classification[]
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.[2]
Below is a phylogenetic cladogram by Butler et al. in 2011 showing the cladistics of Archosauriformes, focusing mostly on Pseudosuchia:[3] Clade names follow Nesbitt 2011.
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Paleoecology[]
