Ornithosuchus
Encyclopedia
Ornithosuchus is an extinct genus
of crurotarsan
from the Late Triassic
(Carnian
) Lossiemouth Sandstone
of Scotland
. Originally it was thought to be the ancestor to the carnosaur dinosaurs (which then included Tyrannosaurus
), however now it is known to be more closely related to crocodilians than dinosaurs.
Despite this relationship to crocodiles, Ornithosuchus was able to walk on its hind legs, like many dinosaurs. However, it probably spent most of its time on all fours, only moving biped
ally when it needed to run rapidly. Its skull also resembled those of theropod dinosaurs, but more primitive features included the presence of five toes on each foot and a double row of armoured plates along the animal's back. Ornithosuchus was around 4 metres (13.1 ft) in length.
A single species of Ornithosuchus has been described, the type species
, O. longidens. Ornithosuchus is the type genus
of the Ornithosuchidae
, a family
of facultatively biped carnivores that were geographically widespread during the Late Triassic. Two other genera are currently known, Venaticosuchus
and Riojasuchus
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of crurotarsan
Crurotarsi
The Crurotarsi are a group of archosauriformes, represented today by the crocodiles,...
from the Late Triassic
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is in the geologic timescale the third and final of three epochs of the Triassic period. The corresponding series is known as the Upper Triassic. In the past it was sometimes called the Keuper, after a German lithostratigraphic group that has a roughly corresponding age...
(Carnian
Carnian
The Carnian is the lowermost stage of the Upper Triassic series . It lasted from about 228.7 till 216.5 million years ago . The Carnian is preceded by the Ladinian and is followed by the Norian...
) Lossiemouth Sandstone
Lossiemouth Sandstone
The Lossiemouth Sandstone is a Late Triassic geologic formation. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.-Paleofauna:-See also:* List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Originally it was thought to be the ancestor to the carnosaur dinosaurs (which then included Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus meaning "tyrant," and sauros meaning "lizard") is a genus of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex , commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other...
), however now it is known to be more closely related to crocodilians than dinosaurs.
Despite this relationship to crocodiles, Ornithosuchus was able to walk on its hind legs, like many dinosaurs. However, it probably spent most of its time on all fours, only moving biped
Biped
Bipedalism is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two rear limbs, or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a bipedal manner is known as a biped , meaning "two feet"...
ally when it needed to run rapidly. Its skull also resembled those of theropod dinosaurs, but more primitive features included the presence of five toes on each foot and a double row of armoured plates along the animal's back. Ornithosuchus was around 4 metres (13.1 ft) in length.
Classification
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
, O. longidens. Ornithosuchus is the type genus
Type genus
In biological classification, a type genus is a representative genus, as with regard to a biological family. The term and concept is used much more often and much more formally in zoology than it is in botany, and the definition is dependent on the nomenclatural Code that applies:* In zoological...
of the Ornithosuchidae
Ornithosuchidae
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...
, a family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of facultatively biped carnivores that were geographically widespread during the Late Triassic. Two other genera are currently known, Venaticosuchus
Venaticosuchus
Venaticosuchus is a genus of Late Triassic quadrupedal crurotarsan archosaur. Originally it was thought to be the ancestor to the carnosaur dinosaurs ; however, now it is known to be more closely related to crocodilians than dinosaurs...
and Riojasuchus
Riojasuchus
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....
.