Rauisuchidae - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Rauisuchidae is a group of large (up to 6 meters or more) predatory Triassic

Triassic

The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...

archosaur

Archosaur

Archosaurs are a group of diapsid amniotes whose living representatives consist of modern birds and crocodilians. This group also includes all extinct non-avian dinosaurs, many extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosauria, the archosaur clade, is a crown group that includes the most...

s, and constitute advanced representatives of the larger group Rauisuchia

Rauisuchia

Rauisuchia is a group of predatory and mostly large Triassic archosaurs. As a clade, Rauisuchia includes these Triassic forms and all crocodylomorphs, which are descendants of Triassic rauisuchians. The group in its traditional sense is paraphyletic, because it does not include crocodylomorph...

. There is some disagreement over which genera should be included in the Prestosuchidae

Prestosuchidae

Prestosuchids were a group of Triassic carnivorous archosaurs. They were large active terrestrial apex predators, ranging from around in length. They succeeded the Erythrosuchidae as the largest archosaurs of their time...

, which in Rauisuchidae, and which in the Poposauridae

Poposauridae

The Poposauridae are a family of large carnivorous archosaurs which lived alongside dinosaurs during the Late Triassic. They are known from fossil remains from North and South America...

, and indeed whether these should even be thought of as separate families

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...

. Rauisuchids occurred throughout much of the Triassic, and may have first occurred in the Early Triassic

Early Triassic

The Early Triassic is the first of three epochs of the Triassic period of the geologic timescale. It spans the time between 251 ± 0.4 Ma and 245 ± 1.5 Ma . Rocks from this epoch are collectively known as the Lower Triassic, which is a unit in chronostratigraphy...

if some archosaurian taxa such as Scythosuchus
Scythosuchus
Scythosuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchid. Remains have been found from Olenekian-age Lower Triassic beds in Russia. The type and only species is S. basileus, described in 1999....

and Tsylmosuchus
Tsylmosuchus
Tsylmosuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchian that may be a member of the family Rauisuchidae. It is known from the southern Urals region of Russia. Tsylmosuchus occurred throughout the Olenekian age of the Early Triassic. Some of the strata from which Tsylmosuchus has been found are early...

are considered to be within the family.

An early cladistic analysis of crocodylotarsan archosaur

Archosaur

s included Lotosaurus
Lotosaurus
Lotosaurus is an is an extinct genus of sail-backed poposauroid known from Hunan Province of central China.-Description:Lotosaurus is known from the holotype IVPP V 4881 , articulated well-preserved skeleton, and from the referred specimens IVPP V 48013, skull, articulated and...

, Fasolasuchus
Fasolasuchus
Fasolasuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchid rauisuchian. Fossils have been found from Argentina that date back to the Rhaetian stage of the Late Triassic, making it one of the last rauisuchians to have existed before the order went extinct at the end of the Triassic...

, Rauisuchus
Rauisuchus
Rauisuchus was a basal archosaur which lived in what is now the Geopark of Paleorrota, Brazil, during the middle Triassic period . Named after fossil collector Dr. Wilhelm Rau, Rauisuchus belonged to a group of land-dwelling relatives to crocodiles...

, and "the Kupferzell rauisuchid" (later called Batrachotomus
Batrachotomus
Batrachotomus is a genus of prehistoric archosaur. Fossils of this animal have been found in southern Germany and dated from the Ladinian stage of Middle Triassic period, around 228 to 231 million years ago. Batrachotomus was described by palaeontologist David J...

) within Rauisuchidae. However, a later study found that Batrachotomus
Batrachotomus
Batrachotomus is a genus of prehistoric archosaur. Fossils of this animal have been found in southern Germany and dated from the Ladinian stage of Middle Triassic period, around 228 to 231 million years ago. Batrachotomus was described by palaeontologist David J...

was more closely related to Prestosuchus
Prestosuchus
Prestosuchus is an extinct genus of a group of rauisuchians called prestosuchids. Friedrich von Huene named the genus in honor of Vicentino Prestes de Almeida....

, and thus was a prestosuchid. In addition, the toothless Lotosaurus has been found to be more closely related to the Ctenosauriscidae

Ctenosauriscidae

Ctenosauriscidae is an extinct family of pseudosuchian archosaurs within the clade Poposauroidea. Ctenosauriscids existed in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America during the Early Triassic to the Middle Triassic period . All species had large "sails" on their backs...

, a clade

Clade

A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...

of Dimetrodon
Dimetrodon
Dimetrodon was a predatory synapsid genus that flourished during the Permian period, living between 280–265 million years ago ....

-like animals with a sail on their back.

Two genera previously classified as poposaurids, are in fact rauisuchids. These include Teratosaurus
Teratosaurus
Teratosaurus was a genus of rauisuchian known from the Triassic Stubensandstein of Germany...

and Postosuchus
Postosuchus
Postosuchus, meaning "crocodile from Post ", was a basal archosaur that lived in what is now North America during the middle through to the late Triassic period...

.

Genera

Genus	Status	Age	Location	Unit	Description
Arganasuchus Arganasuchus Arganasuchus is a genus of rauisuchid archosaur. Its fossils have been found in Upper Triassic rocks of the Argana Basin, Morocco. It is based on remains found in the 1970s and initially thought to belong to the rauisuchian Ticinosuchus. Bones recovered include part of the upper jaws, neck...	Valid	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...	Morocco		Named for the Moroccan fossil site where it was discovered, the Argana Basin.
Dongusuchus Dongusuchus Dongusuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchian. Fossils have been found from the Donguz Formation outcropping on the banks of the Donguz River in the Orenburg Oblast of Russia...	Valid	Anisian Anisian In the geologic timescale, the Anisian is the lower stage or earliest age of the Middle Triassic series or epoch and lasted from 245 million years ago until 237 million years ago, approximately... - Ladinian Ladinian The Ladinian is a stage and age in the Middle Triassic series or epoch. It spans the time between 237 ± 2 Ma and 228 ± 2 Ma...	Russia	Donguz Formation
Fasolasuchus Fasolasuchus Fasolasuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchid rauisuchian. Fossils have been found from Argentina that date back to the Rhaetian stage of the Late Triassic, making it one of the last rauisuchians to have existed before the order went extinct at the end of the Triassic...	Valid	Rhaetian Rhaetian The Rhaetian is in geochronology the latest age of the Triassic period or in chronostratigraphy the uppermost stage of the Triassic system. It lasted from 203.6 ± 1.5 to 199.6 ± 0.6 million years ago...	Argentina		Possibly the largest rauisuchian.
?Fenhosuchus Fenhosuchus Fenhosuchus is an extinct genus of archosauriform. Fossils have been found from China and date back to the Early Triassic. The genus was named after the Fen River in Shanxi Province from which specimens were found. It may prove to be a chimera being composed of material from several different...	Valid	Early Triassic Early Triassic The Early Triassic is the first of three epochs of the Triassic period of the geologic timescale. It spans the time between 251 ± 0.4 Ma and 245 ± 1.5 Ma . Rocks from this epoch are collectively known as the Lower Triassic, which is a unit in chronostratigraphy...	Mainland China		May be a chimera Chimera (paleontology) In paleontology, a chimera is a fossil which was reconstructed with elements coming from more than a single species of animal. A now classic example of chimera is Protoavis.-List of paleontological chimeras:BrontosaurusLametasaurus... .
Heptasuchus Heptasuchus Heptasuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchian from the Carnian stage of the Popo Agie Formation of Wyoming. It was named by Dawley et al. in 1979. The type species is H. clarki....	Valid	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...	United States	Popo Agie Formation Popo Agie Formation The Popo Agie Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.-See also:* List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations...
Jushatyria Jushatyria Jushatyria is an extinct genus of rauisuchid. Fossils have been found in the district of Kumertau near the Ural Mountains in European Russia that date back to the Ladinian stage of the Middle Triassic. Additional material has been described from a locality on the banks of the Berdyanka River that...	Valid	Ladinian Ladinian The Ladinian is a stage and age in the Middle Triassic series or epoch. It spans the time between 237 ± 2 Ma and 228 ± 2 Ma...	Russia
Luperosuchus Luperosuchus Luperosuchus is an extinct genus of crurotarsan, a group which includes crocodilians and their ancestors. It lived during the Anisian stage of the Middle Triassic, and is known from Argentina.-References:* in the Paleobiology Database...	Valid	Anisian Anisian In the geologic timescale, the Anisian is the lower stage or earliest age of the Middle Triassic series or epoch and lasted from 245 million years ago until 237 million years ago, approximately...	Argentina
Polonosuchus Polonosuchus Polonosuchus is a genus of rauisuchian known from the late Triassic of Poland.It was described as Teratosaurus silesiacus in 2005 by Tomasz Sulej, and was transferred to the genus Polonosuchus by Brusatte et al. in 2009....	Valid	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...	Poland
Postosuchus Postosuchus Postosuchus, meaning "crocodile from Post ", was a basal archosaur that lived in what is now North America during the middle through to the late Triassic period...	Valid	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... - Norian Norian The Norian is a division of the Triassic geological period. It has the rank of an age or stage . The Norian lasted from 216.5 ± 2.0 to 203.6 ± 1.5 million years ago. It was preceded by the Carnian and succeeded by the Rhaetian.-Stratigraphic definitions:The Norian was named after the Noric Alps in...	United States	Chinle Formation Chinle Formation The Chinle is a geologic formation that is spread across the U.S. states of northern Arizona, Nevada, Utah, western New Mexico, and western Colorado. The Chinle is controversially considered to be synonymous to the Dockum Group in eastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, southwestern Kansas, the... Newark Supergroup
Procerosuchus Procerosuchus Procerosuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchid rauisuchian. Fossils have been collected from the Late Triassic Santa Maria Formation in Geopark of Paleorrota, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, which is Carnian in age...	Valid	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...	Brazil	Santa Maria Formation Santa Maria Formation The Santa Maria Formation is a sedimentary rock formation found in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It has a late Ladinian – early Carnian age , and is notable for its fossils of early dinosaurs, including the herrerasaur Staurikosaurus, the basal saurischian Teyuwasu, and the basal sauropodomorph...
Rauisuchus Rauisuchus Rauisuchus was a basal archosaur which lived in what is now the Geopark of Paleorrota, Brazil, during the middle Triassic period . Named after fossil collector Dr. Wilhelm Rau, Rauisuchus belonged to a group of land-dwelling relatives to crocodiles...	Valid	Middle Triassic Middle Triassic In the geologic timescale, the Middle Triassic is the second of three epochs of the Triassic period or the middle of three series in which the Triassic system is divided. It spans the time between 245 ± 1.5 Ma and 228 ± 2 Ma...	Brazil
Stagonosuchus Stagonosuchus Stagonosuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchid rauisuchian. Fossils have been found from the Late Triassic Manda Formation in Tanzania that are Anisian in age....	Valid	Anisian Anisian In the geologic timescale, the Anisian is the lower stage or earliest age of the Middle Triassic series or epoch and lasted from 245 million years ago until 237 million years ago, approximately...	Tanzania	Manda Formation
Teratosaurus Teratosaurus Teratosaurus was a genus of rauisuchian known from the Triassic Stubensandstein of Germany...	Valid	Norian Norian The Norian is a division of the Triassic geological period. It has the rank of an age or stage . The Norian lasted from 216.5 ± 2.0 to 203.6 ± 1.5 million years ago. It was preceded by the Carnian and succeeded by the Rhaetian.-Stratigraphic definitions:The Norian was named after the Noric Alps in...	Germany	Löwenstein Formation
Tikisuchus Tikisuchus Tikisuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchid rauisuchian. It is known from the Late Triassic Tiki Formation in the Shahdol District of central India and was the first rauisuchid to have been found in Asia. The horizon from which remains have been found is Carnian in age. The type species is T....	Valid	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...	India	Tiki Formation Tiki Formation The Tiki Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.-See also:* List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations...
?Tsylmosuchus Tsylmosuchus Tsylmosuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchian that may be a member of the family Rauisuchidae. It is known from the southern Urals region of Russia. Tsylmosuchus occurred throughout the Olenekian age of the Early Triassic. Some of the strata from which Tsylmosuchus has been found are early...	Valid	Olenekian Olenekian In the geologic timescale, the Olenekian is an age in the Early Triassic epoch or a stage in the Lower Triassic series. It spans the time between 249.7 ± 0.7 Ma and 245 ± 0.7 Ma . The Olenekian follows the Induan and is followed by the Anisian.The Olenekian saw the deposition of a large part of the...	Russia		One of the oldest archosaur Archosaur Archosaurs are a group of diapsid amniotes whose living representatives consist of modern birds and crocodilians. This group also includes all extinct non-avian dinosaurs, many extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosauria, the archosaur clade, is a crown group that includes the most... s.
Vjushkovisaurus Vjushkovisaurus Vjushkovisaurus is an extinct genus of Early Triassic rauisuchid. It is known from Sol-Iletsk in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, in strata that are Anisian in age. The genus was named in 1982, with the type species being V. berdjanensis...	Valid	Anisian Anisian In the geologic timescale, the Anisian is the lower stage or earliest age of the Middle Triassic series or epoch and lasted from 245 million years ago until 237 million years ago, approximately...	Russia
Vytshegdosuchus Vytshegdosuchus Vytshegdosuchus is a genus of rauisuchid archosaur. It is known from fossil bones discovered from three localities along the Vychegda River in the Komi Republic of the European section of Russia. These fossils were found in rocks of the upper Yarenskian Gorizont, dating to the late Olenekian stage...	Valid	Olenekian Olenekian In the geologic timescale, the Olenekian is an age in the Early Triassic epoch or a stage in the Lower Triassic series. It spans the time between 249.7 ± 0.7 Ma and 245 ± 0.7 Ma . The Olenekian follows the Induan and is followed by the Anisian.The Olenekian saw the deposition of a large part of the...	Russia

External links

Taxon Search - Rauisuchidae
Rauisuchidae - Mikko's Phylogeny Archive.
Re: Postosuchus/Rauisuchus - Dinosaur Mailing List archives
Rauisuchidae - Dinosaur Mailing List archives

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