Ornithosuchus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| iOrnithosuchus |
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Exinct (fossil)
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| Ornithosuchus | |
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| Translation | bird crocodile |
| Type | crurotarsan archosaur |
| Length | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Height | 6 ft (1,80 m) on hind legs |
| Weight | 300 kg |
| Movement | quadruped/biped |
| Age | 210 million years ago |
| Diet | carnivore |
| Distribution | Scotland |
Ornithosuchus was a Late Triassic crurotarsan. 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.
[edit] Species
A single species of Ornithosuchus has been described, the type species, O. longidens from the Late Triassic of Scotland.
[edit] Closely related species
Ornithosuchus is the type genus of Ornithosuchidae, a family of faculatively biped carnivores that were geographicaly widespread during the Late Triassic. Two other genera are currently known, Venaticosuchus and Riojasuchus.
