Rugarhynchos Temporal range: Late Triassic, mid Norian, ~
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Cranial diagram | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
Clade: | Archosauriformes |
Clade: | †Proterochampsia |
Family: | †Doswelliidae |
Genus: | †Rugarhynchos Wynd et al., 2020 |
Type species | |
†Doswellia sixmilensis Heckert et al., 2012
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Species | |
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Rugarhynchos is an extinct genus of doswelliid archosauriform from the Late Triassic of New Mexico. The only known species is Rugarhynchos sixmilensis. It was originally described as a species of Doswellia in 2012,[1] before receiving its own genus in 2020.[2] Rugarhynchos was a close relative of Doswellia and shared several features with it, such as the absence of an infratemporal fenestra and heavily textured skull bones. However, it could also be distinguished by many unique characteristics, such as a thick diagonal ridge on the side of the snout, blunt spikes on its osteoderms, and a complex suture between the quadratojugal, squamosal, and jugal. Non-metric multidimensional scaling and tooth morphology suggest that Rugarhynchos had a general skull anatomy convergent with some crocodyliforms, spinosaurids, and phytosaurs (particularly Smilosuchus). However, its snout was somewhat less elongated than those other reptiles.[2]