Rutiodon

Rutiodon ("Wrinkle tooth") is an extinct genus of archosaur belonging to the family Phytosauridae. It lived during the Late Triassic period, and was about 3 to 8 meters in length.[1] Rutiodon is known from the eastern United States (North Carolina, New York, New Jersey).[2]

Rutiodon Temporal range: Late Triassic PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skeleton of Rutiodon carolinensis (AMNH 1) in the American Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	†Phytosauria
Family:	†Phytosauridae
Genus:	†Rutiodon Emmons, 1856
Species
†R. carolinensis (Emmons, 1856) (type) †R. manhattanensis (Huene, 1913)
Synonyms
Palaeonornis Emmons, 1857

Description

Fossil of R. carolinensis

Restoration of R. carolinensis

Like other phytosaurs, Rutiodon strongly resembled a crocodile, but its nostrils were positioned far back on the head, close to the eyes, instead of at the tip of the snout. It had enlarged front teeth, and a relatively narrow jaw, somewhat resembling that of a modern gharial. This suggests that this carnivore probably caught fish and it may also have snatched land animals from the waterside.[1] Also, like modern crocodiles, its back, flanks, and tail were covered with bony armored plates.[3]

Rutiodon was among the largest carnivorous animals of its environment, measuring 3–8 meters (10–26 ft) in length.

Species

The holotype of R. manhattanensis on display in the American Museum of Natural History

Skeleton of R. carolinensis viewed from the front

The type species of Rutiodon is R. carolinensis. A second species, R. manhattanensis, was discovered in 1910 near Fort Lee, New Jersey, and named in reference to its close proximity to Manhattan.

Phylogeny

Below is a cladogram from Stocker (2012):[4]

Phytosauria

"Paleorhinus" scurriensis       Paleorhinus bransoni       "Paleorhinus" sawini   Phytosauridae   Brachysuchus megalodon     Angistorhinus       Rutiodon carolinensis     "Machaeroprosopus" zunii     Protome batalaria   Leptosuchomorpha   "Phytosaurus" doughtyi     TMM 31173-120       Leptosuchus crosbiensis     Leptosuchus studeri           Smilosuchus lithodendrorum       Smilosuchus adamanensis     Smilosuchus gregorii           Pravusuchus hortus   Pseudopalatinae   Pseudopalatus mccauleyi       Mystriosuchus westphali     Pseudopalatus pristinus

References

1. Gaines, Richard M. (2001). Coelophysis. ABDO Publishing Company. p. 21. ISBN 1-57765-488-9.
2. Michelle R. Stocker (2010). "A new taxon of phytosaur (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) from the Late Triassic (Norian) Sonsela Member (Chinle Formation) in Arizona, and a critical reevaluation of Leptosuchus Case, 1922". Palaeontology. 53 (5): 997–1022. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00983.x.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
3. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 95. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
4. Stocker, M. R. (2012). "A new phytosaur (Archosauriformes, Phytosauria) from the Lot's Wife beds (Sonsela Member) within the Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic) of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (3): 573–586. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.649815.

External links

• Geological report of the midland counties of North Carolina by Ebenezer Emmons. New York, G.P. Putnam & Co.; Raleigh, H.D. Turner, 1856.
• http://www.paleodirect.com/phyto1.htm
• https://web.archive.org/web/20070501202333/http://www.dinosaurcollector.150m.com/NewBlood.html