The skull of Ticinosuchus. Need confirmation, guys!
The skull of Ticinosuchus (Fig. 1) is a crushed mess. Many have looked at it. Many have shrugged their shoulders. Others have cried.
Ticinosuchus is widely considered an early (Middle Triassic) rauisuchid, smaller than most others.
Figure 1. The skull of Ticinosuchus colorized using DGS. Someone else should either duplicate or invalidate these identities and reconstruction. Let’s figure out this key taxon. Click for more data.
Some elements are easy to identify. Others defy identity.
This is a plea for someone else to identify the ALL the parts present in the skull to see if the second interpretation validates partially or completely the present interpretation.
Figure 2. Colorized elements restored to a best fit reconstruction of the skull of Ticinosuchus. Note the toothless premaxilla. This and dozens of other traits nest Ticinosuchus at the base of the Aetosauria.
The present interpretation demonstrates a close affinity with Aetosauria, a clade that had previously gone unconnected to other reptile groups.
Please submit or publish your own reconstruction and restoration of this enigma. Let’s see what you come up with.
References
Krebs B 1965. Ticinosuchus ferox nov. gen. nov. sp. Ein neuer Pseudosuchier aus der Trias des Monte San Giorgio. Schweizerische Palaontologische Abhandlungen 81:1-140.
Lautenschlager S and Desojo JB 2011. Reassessment of the Middle Triassic rauisuchian archosaurs Ticinosuchus ferox and Stagonosuchus nyassicus. Paläontologische Zeitschrift Online First DOI: 10.1007/s12542-011-0105-1
2012-11-26 10:01:17
Source: http://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/the-skull-of-ticinosuchus-need-confirmation-guys/
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