Polonosuchus
Name:
Polonosuchus.
Phonetic: Po-lo-no-soo-kus.
Named By: Stephen L. Brusatte, Richard J.
Butler, Tomasz Sulej & Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki - 2009.
Synonyms: Teratosaurus silesiacus
Classification: Chordata, Sauropsida,
Archosauromorpha, Rauisuchidae.
Species: P.silesiacus (type).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Often credited as being about 5-6 meters
long, a more precise size is still unknown due to the lack of fossil
remains for the genus.
Known locations: Poland.
Time period: Carnian of the Triassic.
Fossil representation: Partial left maxilla.
The
holotype specimen of Polonosuchus, a partial left
maxilla was
originally described as a species of Teratosaurus
in 2005. A
re-evaluation of the specimen led to the 2009 creation of
Polonosuchus. The former species name, silesiacus
was retained to
create the new type species P. silesiacus, as
is standard procedure
in such naming circumstances.
As
a rauisuchian,
Polonosuchus would be expected to have been a
quadrupedal predator with tough hide and armour along the back and
upper flanks. Rauisuchians are also believed to have been capable of
rearing up on their hind legs, perhaps to manoeuvre themselves when
attacking larger animals.
Polonosuchus
should not be confused with the similarly named Postosuchus
from North
America, something which is especially easy to do given the expected
physical similarity between these two rauisuchians.
Further reading
- A new rauisuchian reptile (Diapsida: Archosauria) from the
Late Triassic of Poland - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology,
25(1):78-86. - T. Sulej - 2005.
- The taxonomy and anatomy of rauisuchian archosaurs from the Late
Triassic of Germany and Poland - Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
54 (2): 221–230 - Stephen L. Brusatte, Richard J.
Butler, Tomasz Sulej & Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki - 2009.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Random favourites
 |
 |
 |
 |