Venaticosuchus

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Venaticosuchus
Fossil range: Late Triassic
Venaticosuchus rusconii
Venaticosuchus rusconii
Conservation status
Extinct (fossil)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Subclass: Diapsida
Infraclass: Archosauromorpha
Family: Ornithosuchidae
Genus: Venaticosuchus

Venaticosuchus was a Late Triassic quadrupedal crurotarsan archosaur. Originally it was thought to be the ancestor to the carnosaur dinosaurs (which then included Tyrannosaurus), however now it is known to be more closely related to crocodilians than dinosaurs. It was a carnivore.

[edit] Species

A single species of Venaticosuchus has been described, the type species, V. rusconii from the Late Triassic of Argentina, around 210 million years ago.

[edit] Closely related species

Venaticosuchus is a member of Ornithosuchidae, a family of faculatively biped carnivores that were geographicaly widespread during the Late Triassic. Two other genera are currently known, Ornithosuchus and Riojasuchus.

[edit] References