Uatchitodon

U-at-chi-to-don.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Uatchitodon.

Phonetic

U-at-chi-to-don.

Named By

Hans-Dieter Sues‭ ‬-‭ ‬1991.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Archosauromorpha.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

U.‭ ‬kroehleri‭

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.

In Depth

       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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