Rugarhynchos

Rugarhynchos
Temporal range: Late Triassic, mid Norian, ~220 Ma
Cranial diagram
Scientific classification Edit this 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
Species
  • Rugarhynchos sixmilensis Heckert et al., 2012

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]

  1. ^ Heckert, Andrew B.; Lucas, Spencer G.; Spielmann, Justin A. (2012). "A new species of the enigmatic archosauromorph Doswellia from the Upper Triassic Bluewater Creek Formation, New Mexico, USA". Palaeontology. 55 (6): 1333–1348. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2012.01200.x.
  2. ^ a b Brenen M. Wynd; Sterling J. Nesbitt; Michelle R. Stocker; Andrew B. Heckert (2020). "A detailed description of Rugarhynchos sixmilensis, gen. et comb. nov. (Archosauriformes, Proterochampsia), and cranial convergence in snout elongation across stem and crown archosaurs". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 39 (6): e1748042. doi:10.1080/02724634.2019.1748042. S2CID 219917329.