Uatchitodon

Name: Uatchitodon.
Phonetic: U-at-chi-to-don.
Named By: Hans-Dieter Sues‭ ‬-‭ ‬1991.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Archosauromorpha.
Species: U.‭ ‬kroehleri‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬U.‭ ‬schneideri.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Unknown due to lack of remains.
Known locations: USA,‭ ‬Arizona‭ ‬-‭ ‬Petrified Forest Formation,‭ ‬North‭ ‬Carolina‭ ‬-‭ ‬Cumnock Formation,‭ ‬Virginia‭ ‬-‭ ‬Turkey Branch Formation.
Time period: Carnian of the Triassic.
Fossil representation: Teeth.

       While only known from teeth,‭ ‬Uatchitodon is still a very interesting genus as at the time of writing it is the earliest known venomous reptile.‭ ‬The teeth of Uatchitodon are recurved and serrated,‭ ‬perfect for slicing through flesh,‭ ‬but grooves in the teeth seem to be for the transference of salivary venom from glands in the jaw.‭ ‬Indeed,‭ ‬comparison to known venomous reptiles that we know today bears a very strong resemblance in tooth form and function.‭ ‬So‭ ‬far the teeth of U.‭ ‬schneideri‭ ‬seem to be most similar to those of snakes,‭ ‬while U.‭ ‬kroehleri are more similar to those of the gila monster.

Further reading
-‭ ‬Venom-conducting teeth in a Triassic reptile.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Nature‭ ‬351‭ (‬6322‭)‬:‭ ‬141‭–‬143.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Hans-Dieter Sues‭ ‬-‭ ‬1991.
-‭ ‬A reptilian tooth with apparent venom canals from the Chinle Group‭ (‬Upper Triassic‭) ‬of Arizona.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology‭ ‬16‭ (‬3‭)‬:‭ ‬571‭–‬572.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Hans-Dieter Sues‭ ‬-‭ ‬1996.
-‭ ‬Grooves to tubes:‭ ‬evolution of the venom delivery system in a Late Triassic‭ "‬reptile‭"‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Naturwissenschaften‭ ‬97‭ (‬12‭)‬:‭ ‬1117‭–‬1121.‭ ‬-‭ ‬J.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Mitchell,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Heckert‭ & ‬H.-D.‭ ‬Sues‭ ‬-‭ ‬2010.



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