Rutiodon

Rutiodon ("Wrinkle tooth") is an extinct genus of archosaur belonging to the family Phytosauridae. It lived during the Late Triassic period, and was about 3 to 8 meters in length.[1] Rutiodon is known from the eastern United States (North Carolina, New York, New Jersey).[2]

Rutiodon
Temporal range: Late Triassic
Skeleton of Rutiodon carolinensis (AMNH 1) in the American Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: †Phytosauria
Family: †Phytosauridae
Genus: †Rutiodon
Emmons, 1856
Species
  • †R. carolinensis (Emmons, 1856) (type)
  • †R. manhattanensis (Huene, 1913)
Synonyms
  • Palaeonornis
    Emmons, 1857

Description
Fossil of R. carolinensis
Restoration of R. carolinensis

Like other phytosaurs, Rutiodon strongly resembled a crocodile, but its nostrils were positioned far back on the head, close to the eyes, instead of at the tip of the snout. It had enlarged front teeth, and a relatively narrow jaw, somewhat resembling that of a modern gharial. This suggests that this carnivore probably caught fish and it may also have snatched land animals from the waterside.[1] Also, like modern crocodiles, its back, flanks, and tail were covered with bony armored plates.[3]

Rutiodon was among the largest carnivorous animals of its environment, measuring 3–8 meters (10–26 ft) in length.

Species
The holotype of R. manhattanensis on display in the American Museum of Natural History
Skeleton of R. carolinensis viewed from the front

The type species of Rutiodon is R. carolinensis. A second species, R. manhattanensis, was discovered in 1910 near Fort Lee, New Jersey, and named in reference to its close proximity to Manhattan.

Phylogeny

Below is a cladogram from Stocker (2012):[4]

Phytosauria 
 

"Paleorhinus" scurriensis

 
 
 

Paleorhinus bransoni

 
 
 

"Paleorhinus" sawini

 
Phytosauridae
 

Brachysuchus megalodon

 
 

Angistorhinus

 
 
 

Rutiodon carolinensis

 
 

"Machaeroprosopus" zunii

 
 

Protome batalaria

 
Leptosuchomorpha
 

"Phytosaurus" doughtyi

 
 

TMM 31173-120

 
 
 

Leptosuchus crosbiensis

 
 

Leptosuchus studeri

 
 
 
 
 

Smilosuchus lithodendrorum

 
 
 

Smilosuchus adamanensis

 
 

Smilosuchus gregorii

 
 
 
 
 

Pravusuchus hortus

 
Pseudopalatinae
 

Pseudopalatus mccauleyi

 
 
 

Mystriosuchus westphali

 
 

Pseudopalatus pristinus

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

References
  1. Gaines, Richard M. (2001). Coelophysis. ABDO Publishing Company. p. 21. ISBN 1-57765-488-9.
  2. Michelle R. Stocker (2010). "A new taxon of phytosaur (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) from the Late Triassic (Norian) Sonsela Member (Chinle Formation) in Arizona, and a critical reevaluation of Leptosuchus Case, 1922". Palaeontology. 53 (5): 997–1022. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00983.x.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  3. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 95. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
  4. Stocker, M. R. (2012). "A new phytosaur (Archosauriformes, Phytosauria) from the Lot's Wife beds (Sonsela Member) within the Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic) of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (3): 573–586. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.649815.


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