''Daemonosaurus'' is an
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
genus of possible
theropod dinosaur from the
Late Triassic of
New Mexico. The only known fossil is a skull and neck fragments from deposits of the latest Triassic
Chinle Formation
The Chinle Formation is an Upper Triassic continental geological formation of fluvial, lacustrine, and palustrine to eolian deposits spread across the U.S. states of Nevada, Utah, northern Arizona, western New Mexico, and western Colorado. In Ne ...
at
Ghost Ranch. ''Daemonosaurus'' was an unusual dinosaur with a short skull and large, fang-like teeth. It lived alongside early
neotheropods
Neotheropoda (meaning "new theropods") is a clade that includes coelophysoids and more advanced theropod dinosaurs, and is the only group of theropods that survived the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event. All neotheropods became extinct by the e ...
such as ''
Coelophysis'', which would have been among the most common dinosaurs by the end of the Triassic. However, ''Daemonosaurus'' retains several
plesiomorphic
In phylogenetics, a plesiomorphy ("near form") and symplesiomorphy are synonyms for an ancestral character shared by all members of a clade, which does not distinguish the clade from other clades.
Plesiomorphy, symplesiomorphy, apomorphy, and ...
("primitive") traits of the snout, and it likely lies outside the
clade
A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
Neotheropoda. It may be considered a late-surviving
basal
Basal or basilar is a term meaning ''base'', ''bottom'', or ''minimum''.
Science
* Basal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location for features associated with the base of an organism or structure
* Basal (medicine), a minimal level that is nec ...
theropod or non-theropod basal
saurischian, possibly allied to other early predatory dinosaurs such as
herrerasaurids
Herrerasauridae is a Family (biology), family of carnivore, carnivorous dinosaurs, possibly basal (phylogenetics), basal to either theropods or even all of saurischians, or even their own branching from dracohors, separate from dinosauria altoget ...
or ''
Tawa''.
Discovery
![Ghost Ranch Coelophysis Quarry](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Ghost_Ranch_Coelophysis_Quarry.jpg)
''Daemonosaurus'' is known from a single fossil, the
holotype CM 76821, which consists of a skull, mandibles, an
atlas bone, an
axis bone
In anatomy, the axis (from Latin ''axis'', "axle") or epistropheus is the second cervical vertebra (C2) of the spine, immediately inferior to the atlas, upon which the head rests.
The axis' defining feature is its strong odontoid process (bon ...
, other
neck vertebrae, and rib fragments. This specimen was discovered in a sediment block of collected from the ''
Coelophysis'' Quarry (also known as the Whitaker quarry) at
Ghost Ranch,
New Mexico. This site, preserving the informal late
Norian
The Norian is a division of the Triassic Period. It has the rank of an age (geochronology) or stage (chronostratigraphy). It lasted from ~227 to million years ago. It was preceded by the Carnian and succeeded by the Rhaetian.
Stratigraphic defi ...
or
Rhaetian
The Rhaetian is the latest age of the Triassic Period (in geochronology) or the uppermost stage of the Triassic System (in chronostratigraphy). It was preceded by the Norian and succeeded by the Hettangian (the lowermost stage or earliest age ...
"siltstone member" of the
Chinle Formation
The Chinle Formation is an Upper Triassic continental geological formation of fluvial, lacustrine, and palustrine to eolian deposits spread across the U.S. states of Nevada, Utah, northern Arizona, western New Mexico, and western Colorado. In Ne ...
, is famous for abundant fossils of ''Coelophysis,'' an early theropod. C-4-81, the block containing CM 76821, was collected in the early 1980s by
E.H. Colbert and is now housed in the collection of the
Carnegie Museum of Natural History in
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. Fossils of ''Coelophysis'' were also present in the block. CM 76821 was first uncovered by a volunteer preparing the block while it was on loan to
State Museum of Pennsylvania
The State Museum of Pennsylvania is a non-profit museum at 300 North Street in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is run by the state through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and was created to preserve and interpret the region ...
in
Harrisburg.
[
''Daemonosaurus'' was named by ]Hans-Dieter Sues
Hans-Dieter Sues (born January 13, 1956) is a German-born American paleontologist who is Senior Scientist and Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
He receiv ...
, Sterling J. Nesbitt
Sterling Nesbitt (born March 25, 1982, in Mesa, Arizona) is an American paleontologist best known for his work on the origin and early evolutionary patterns of archosaurs. He is currently an associate professor at Virginia Tech in the Department ...
, David S. Berman and Amy C. Henrici in the journal'' Proceedings of the Royal Society B ''in 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
and the type species is ''Daemonosaurus chauliodus''. The generic name ''Daemonosaurus'' is derived from the Greek words "daimon" (δαίμων) meaning "demon" and "sauros" (σαύρα) meaning "reptile". The specific name Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
is derived from the Greek word "chauliodous" (χαυλιόδους) meaning "prominent toothed", which is in reference to its procumbent front teeth.[
]
Description
''Daemonosaurus'' is notable for its short, deep skull, with large teeth, a rounded orbit (eye socket) and a relatively small antorbital fenestra. Based on the proportions of related theropods, ''Daemonosaurus'' is estimated to have been around 1.5 m (5 feet) long according to Sues. An estimate by Holtz Holtz is the surname of:
* Alexander Holtz (born 2002), Swedish ice hockey player
* Andrew Holtz, American journalist
* Carl Holtz (1920–2006), American oarsman and farmer
* Daniel Holtz, a fictional character on the TV series ''Angel''
* Eric H ...
(2012) suggests that ''Daemonosaurus'' was at most long with a weight around that of a beaver
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
, .[Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2012) ''Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages,']
Winter 2011 Appendix.
/ref> These estimates are almost entirely conjectural, as no postcranial fossils are preserved beyond a few vertebrae. The proportionately large orbit, the short snout, and the apparent lack of fusion between the bones of the braincase suggest that the holotype specimen CM 76821 may be a juvenile. On the other hand, the closure (fusion) of the neurocentral sutures in the vertebrae suggest a mature individual.
Cranium
The premaxilla is deep and has a sloped front edge. The posterodorsal process (rear branch) of the premaxilla is broad and elongated, forming the entire rear edge of the relatively large naris
A nostril (or naris , plural ''nares'' ) is either of the two orifices of the nose. They enable the entry and exit of air and other gasses through the nasal cavities. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbi ...
(nostril hole). The size of the posterodorsal process is more in line with ''Herrerasaurus
''Herrerasaurus'' is a genus of saurischian dinosaur from the Late Triassic period. This genus was one of the earliest dinosaurs from the fossil record. Its name means "Herrera's lizard", after the rancher who discovered the first specimen in ...
'' and ornithischians than with traditional theropods or sauropodomorphs. There are only three premaxillary teeth, like '' Tawa, Gnathovorax
''Gnathovorax'' is a genus of herrerasaurid saurischian dinosaur from the Santa Maria Formation in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The type and only species is ''Gnathovorax cabreirai'', described by Pacheco ''et al.'' in 2019.
The type specimen c ...
,'' '' Heterodontosaurus,'' and an unnamed Brazilian herrerasaurid
Herrerasauridae is a family of carnivorous dinosaurs, possibly basal to either theropods or even all of saurischians, or even their own branching from dracohors, separate from dinosauria altogether. They are among the oldest known dinosaurs, fi ...
, but unlike other early dinosaurs, which have four. The premaxillary teeth are characteristically elongated, with the first tooth being the longest in the entire skull. CT scans
A computed tomography scan (CT scan; formerly called computed axial tomography scan or CAT scan) is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers ...
demonstrate that this is a natural quality of the skull, as the teeth were not significantly displaced from their sockets. The premaxillary teeth are straight at the root and curved at the crown. All three are smooth on the front edge and finely serrated on the rear edge, and shallow grooves ornament the second and third teeth.
Similar to many early dinosaurs, a small diastema (toothless notch) was present at the lower contact between the premaxilla and maxilla. Like ''Tawa'' and ''Herrerasaurus'', the outer surface of the maxilla is generally smooth and flat; there are no sharp ridges delimiting the tooth row or the shallow, upwards-oriented antorbital fossa
An antorbital fenestra (plural: fenestrae) is an opening in the skull that is in front of the eye sockets. This skull character is largely associated with archosauriforms, first appearing during the Triassic Period. Among extant archosaurs, birds ...
. Nevertheless, there are a few pits on the outer surface, and a ridge-like palatal process on the inner surface. The maxilla has 10 teeth at most, fewer than any other early dinosaur. While the recurved second and third maxillary teeth are nearly as long as the premaxillary teeth, the rest of the teeth gradually diminish in size and curvature towards the rear of the bone. On the other hand, serrations become more extensive on each tooth further down the tooth row.
The nasal
Nasal is an adjective referring to the nose, part of human or animal anatomy. It may also be shorthand for the following uses in combination:
* With reference to the human nose:
** Nasal administration, a method of pharmaceutical drug delivery
** ...
is smooth and likely did not participate in the antorbital fossa. Each nasal has M-shaped sutures with the premaxilla and frontal, a more complex configuration than in other early dinosaurs. The lacrimal is thinnest at mid-height and sends a sharp projection along the lower edge of the orbit. It forms the rear edge of the antorbital fossa via a subtle ridge. The prefrontal is proportionally large, forming about half the upper edge of the orbit. The size of the prefrontal is unique to ''Daemonosaurus'' among dinosaurs and archosaurs in general. The frontals are wide and flat, separated from each other at the front by a wedge-shaped projection of the nasals. Their rear edge is excavated by the supratemporal fossa, which extends onto the broad and mostly flat parietal, as well as the fairly large postorbital. The postorbital likely contacted the frontal along a straight edge (like ''Tawa'' and ''Herrerasaurus''), while also sending a rounded overhanging projection into the orbit (like most early saurischians).
The jugal is moderately deep, with a thick front prong. Like neotheropods
Neotheropoda (meaning "new theropods") is a clade that includes coelophysoids and more advanced theropod dinosaurs, and is the only group of theropods that survived the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event. All neotheropods became extinct by the e ...
and a few sauropodomorphs, the rear edge of the jugal bore a deep notch for the front of the quadratojugal. The jugal’s lower edge has a sharp ridge that projects straight down, an unusual configuration not seen in other dinosaurs. The quadratojugal is lightly-built, with narrow front and upper prongs similar to ''Eoraptor''. At its upper extent it contacts the squamosal, a poorly-preserved bone with an overall boxy shape. The quadrate
Quadrate may refer to:
* Quadrate bone
* Quadrate (heraldry)
* Quadrate lobe of liver
* Quadrate tubercle
The quadrate tubercle is a small tubercle found upon the upper part of the femur. It serves as a point of insertion of the quadratus femori ...
is tall and narrow.
Fragments of the palate appear similar to other dinosaurs, with curved ectopterygoids underlapped by broad pterygoids. The palatine bone is large, sending out a diagonal lateral ridge to connect to the inner surface of the maxilla. The braincase
In human anatomy, the neurocranium, also known as the braincase, brainpan, or brain-pan is the upper and back part of the skull, which forms a protective case around the brain. In the human skull, the neurocranium includes the calvaria or skul ...
is partially disarticulated; each otoccipital (outer rear segment of the braincase) sends out a paroccipital process with parallel margins (like other saurischians
Saurischia ( , meaning "reptile-hipped" from the Ancient Greek, Greek ' () meaning 'lizard' and ' () meaning 'hip joint') is one of the two basic divisions of dinosaurs (the other being Ornithischia), classified by their hip structure. Saurisch ...
), while its base bears a pair of openings for cranial nerve XII. Unlike more advanced saurischians, the exoccipital
The occipital bone () is a cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone overlies the occipital lobes of the cer ...
region is flat, without a vertical lateral crest. Fragments of the basioccipital
The basilar part of the occipital bone (also basioccipital) extends forward and upward from the foramen magnum, and presents in front an area more or less quadrilateral in outline.
In the young skull this area is rough and uneven, and is joined t ...
, prootic, and parabasisphenoid are also preserved. Scleral rings were present in each eye, with at least 11 ossicles overlapping in a counterclockwise pattern.
Lower jaw
The front of the mandible (lower jaw) has a slightly downturned tooth row, similar to many sauropodomorphs. The symphysis (chin) is dotted with small pits and converges towards a sharp margin. The dentary (tooth-bearing portion of the jaw) has an estimated 10 teeth, which are curved and serrated. The first tooth is large and slightly inset from the tip of the jaw, the second tooth is the largest in the lower jaw, and the rest decrease in size to the back of the jaw. The rear of the jaw is poorly-preserved but appears to be similar in structure to that of ''Herrerasaurus''.
Vertebrae
Fragments of five cervical (neck) vertebrae are preserved alongside the skull. A slender proatlas
In anatomy, the atlas (C1) is the most superior (first) cervical vertebra of the spine (anatomy), spine and is located in the neck. It is named for Atlas (mythology), Atlas of Greek mythology because, just as Atlas supported the globe, it suppo ...
links the neck with the braincase. The atlas (first cervical) has a thin neural arch bearing a shallow depression followed by epipophyses
Epipophyses are bony projections of the cervical vertebrae found in archosauromorphs, particularly dinosaurs (including some basal birds). These paired processes sit above the postzygapophyses on the rear of the vertebral neural arch. Their morp ...
, akin to ''Herrerasaurus''. Epipophyses are also found in the axis (second cervical), which is better preserved and has a slanted neural spine on top of a rectangular centrum. The third cervical has prominent prezygapophyses
The articular processes or zygapophyses (Greek language, Greek ζυγον = "yoke" (because it links two vertebrae) + απο = "away" + φυσις = "-physis, process") of a vertebra are projections of the vertebra that serve the purpose of fitting ...
and is unusual among dinosauriforms in that it lacks a keel on its lower edge. A very large rimmed oval-shaped hole is present behind the rib articulations. This hole has been equated with pneumatic pockets (“ pleurocoels”) observed in ''Tawa'', '' Chindesaurus'', and neotheropods. Cervical ribs
A cervical rib in humans is an extra rib which arises from the seventh cervical vertebra. Their presence is a congenital abnormality located above the normal first rib. A cervical rib is estimated to occur in 0.2% to 0.5% (1 in 200 to 500) of th ...
are robust and have two closely-set points of contact with the vertebrae. The fourth and fifth cervicals are fragmentary.
Classification
''Daemonosaurus'' is typically considered to be a basal theropod that lies outside the clade Neotheropoda, a group that includes more advanced Triassic theropods (like '' Coelophysis'') and their descendants. With such a basal position, ''Daemonosaurus'' represents a lineage that extended from the earliest radiation of dinosaurs in the Middle Triassic alongside forms such as ''Eoraptor
''Eoraptor'' () is a genus of small, lightly built, basal sauropodomorph. One of the earliest-known dinosaurs, it lived approximately 231 to 228 million years ago, during the Late Triassic in Western Gondwana, in the region that is now northwest ...
'' and ''Herrerasaurus
''Herrerasaurus'' is a genus of saurischian dinosaur from the Late Triassic period. This genus was one of the earliest dinosaurs from the fossil record. Its name means "Herrera's lizard", after the rancher who discovered the first specimen in ...
'' from South America. A phylogenetic analysis conducted in its original description found ''Daemonosaurus chauliodus'' to be closely related to '' Tawa hallae'', a theropod that was described from Ghost Ranch in 2009, and the Neotheropoda. Although the two theropods are closely related, ''Tawa'' was found at a quarry that is slightly older than the Whitaker Quarry at Ghost Ranch. Sues ''et al.'' (2011) noted that the discovery of ''Daemonosaurus'' provided "additional support for the theropod affinities of both ''Eoraptor'' and Herrerasauridae and (demonstrated) that lineages from the initial radiation of Dinosauria persisted until the end of the Triassic." Below is a cladogram based on the phylogenetic analysis conducted by Sues ''et al.'' in 2011, showing the relationships of ''Daemonosaurus'':[
Examination of this genus by Sues ''et al.'' (2011) demonstrates that ''Daemonosaurus'' is separate and distinct from its other contemporaries.][ ''Daemonosaurus'' differs from ''Herrerasaurus'' based on key features in the skull and because it has much larger teeth in the premaxilla. ''Daemonosaurus'' differs from ''Eodromaeus'' based on features of the jaw bone, skull, cheek bones, and because it has much larger teeth in the premaxilla. ''Daemonosaurus'' differs from ''Eoraptor lunensis'' based on the presence of much larger premaxillary and anterior maxillary teeth and a much more restricted ]antorbital fossa
An antorbital fenestra (plural: fenestrae) is an opening in the skull that is in front of the eye sockets. This skull character is largely associated with archosauriforms, first appearing during the Triassic Period. Among extant archosaurs, birds ...
on the maxilla. ''Daemonosaurus'' differs from ''Tawa hallae'' and ''Coelophysis bauri'' in features of the skull bones. ''Daemonosaurus'' differs from ''Chindesaurus bryansmalli'' in features of the cervical vertebrae.
A paper published by Baron ''et al.'' (2017) resurrected the clade Ornithoscelida to unite ornithischia
Ornithischia () is an extinct order of mainly herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by a pelvic structure superficially similar to that of birds. The name ''Ornithischia'', or "bird-hipped", reflects this similarity and is derived from the Greek s ...
ns and theropods to the exception of sauropodomorphs. Although not included in the original study, the authors added ''Daemonosaurus'' to their dataset after their hypothesis was criticized by a team of international researchers, Langer ''et al''. (2017). In Baron ''et al''.'s response, ''Daemonosaurus'' was found to be the earliest ornithischian, retaining many theropod-like characteristics.
Nesbitt and Sues (2020) rescored the genus and reran the analyses of both Langer ''et al.'' (2017) and Baron ''et al.'' (2017). Langer ''et al''.'s analysis resulted in a large polytomy placing ''Daemonosaurus'' as either a basal saurischian, a herrerasaurid, or a basal silesaurid. When '' Agnosphitys'' (a fragmentary possible silesaurid) was removed from the analysis, ''Daemonosaurus'' was placed as the sister taxon to Eusaurischia
Saurischia ( , meaning "reptile-hipped" from the Greek ' () meaning 'lizard' and ' () meaning 'hip joint') is one of the two basic divisions of dinosaurs (the other being Ornithischia), classified by their hip structure. Saurischia and Ornithi ...
, which encompassed the theropod-sauropodomorph split. The rescoring of Baron ''et al''.'s analysis placed ''Daemonosaurus'' as an ornithoscelidan outside the ornithichian-theropod split. This area was also occupied by ''Tawa'' and '' Chindesaurus''. Although ''Daemonosaurus'' was not recovered as an ornithichian in any analysis, it also does not share any clear unambiguous characteristics exclusively with theropods. Though Nesbitt and Sues (2020) considered ''Daemonosaurus'' a likely saurischian, they were unable to conclusively place the genus within any subgroup of Dinosauria. Novas ''et al''. (2021) recovered ''Daemonosaurus'' in a clade with ''Tawa'' and ''Chindesaurus'' that is sister to Herrerasauridae, with this broader Herrerasauria being a saurischian clade sister to Eusaurischia.
Paleoenvironment
The only specimen of ''Daemonosaurus'' was recovered at the '' Coelophysis'' (Whitaker) quarry at Ghost Ranch in Rio Arriba County
Rio Arriba County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 40,246. Its county seat is Tierra Amarilla. Its northern border is the Colorado state line.
Rio Arriba County comprises the Española, N ...
, New Mexico. This site preserves pebbly, calcareous conglomerate rich in fossils of many different animals, with the theropod dinosaur ''Coelophysis'' being particularly abundant. It has been correlated the Siltstone Member of the Chinle Formation
The Chinle Formation is an Upper Triassic continental geological formation of fluvial, lacustrine, and palustrine to eolian deposits spread across the U.S. states of Nevada, Utah, northern Arizona, western New Mexico, and western Colorado. In Ne ...
, which is tentatively dated to the Rhaetian
The Rhaetian is the latest age of the Triassic Period (in geochronology) or the uppermost stage of the Triassic System (in chronostratigraphy). It was preceded by the Norian and succeeded by the Hettangian (the lowermost stage or earliest age ...
(or possibly latest Norian
The Norian is a division of the Triassic Period. It has the rank of an age (geochronology) or stage (chronostratigraphy). It lasted from ~227 to million years ago. It was preceded by the Carnian and succeeded by the Rhaetian.
Stratigraphic defi ...
) stage of the Late Triassic period.
Ghost Ranch was located close to the equator 200 million years ago, and had a warm, monsoon-like climate with heavy seasonal precipitation. The paleoenvironment
Paleoecology (also spelled palaeoecology) is the study of interactions between organisms and/or interactions between organisms and their environments across geologic timescales. As a discipline, paleoecology interacts with, depends on and informs ...
of the Whitaker quarry included a diverse collection of rhynchocephalians (like '' Whitakersaurus)'', archosauromorphs
Archosauromorpha ( Greek for "ruling lizard forms") is a clade of diapsid reptiles containing all reptiles more closely related to archosaurs (such as crocodilians and dinosaurs, including birds) rather than lepidosaurs (such as tuataras, lizard ...
, and archosaurs. Archosauriform taxa present include phytosaurs ('' Redondasaurus)'', crocodylomorphs
Crocodylomorpha is a group of pseudosuchian archosaurs that includes the crocodilians and their extinct relatives. They were the only members of Pseudosuchia to survive the end-Triassic extinction.
During Mesozoic and early Cenozoic times, cr ...
(''Hesperosuchus
''Hesperosuchus'' is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph reptile that contains a single species, ''Hesperosuchus agilis''. Remains of this pseudosuchian have been found in Late Triassic (Carnian) strata from Arizona and New Mexico.Colbert, E. H. 1 ...
''), shuvosaurids ('' Effigia)'', the silesaurid ''Eucoelophysis
''Eucoelophysis'' (meaning "true hollow form") is a genus of silesaurid dinosauriform from the Late Triassic ( Norian) period Chinle Formation of New Mexico. It was assumed to be a coelophysid upon description, but a study by Nesbitt ''et al. ...
'', and the dinosaur ''Coelophysis''.[E. H. Colbert. 1989. The Triassic dinosaur ''Coelophysis''. Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin 57:1-174]
Taphonomy
The multitude of specimens deposited so closely together at Ghost Ranch was probably the result of a flash flood event. Such flooding was commonplace during this period of the Earth's history
The history of Earth concerns the development of planet Earth from its formation to the present day. Nearly all branches of natural science have contributed to understanding of the main events of Earth's past, characterized by constant geologic ...
and, indeed, the nearby Petrified Forest
Petrified wood, also known as petrified tree (from Ancient Greek meaning 'rock' or 'stone'; literally 'wood turned into stone'), is the name given to a special type of ''fossilized wood'', the fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. ''P ...
of Arizona is the result of a preserved log jam of tree trunks that were caught in one such flood. In 1989, Colbert noted that the ''Daemonosaurus'' specimen and several '' Coelophysis'' specimens were washed into a small pond, where they drowned and were buried by a sheet flood event from a nearby river."[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q732917
Prehistoric theropods
Rhaetian life
Late Triassic dinosaurs of North America
Triassic United States
Paleontology in New Mexico
Fossil taxa described in 2011
Taxa named by Hans-Dieter Sues
Taxa named by Sterling Nesbitt