Postosuchus

Postosuchus kirkpatricki

• Chinle Formation ( Arizona, New Mexico, Texas)
• Popo Agie Formation ( Wyoming)
• North Carolina

• Kirkpatricki P. Chatterjee, 1985
• P. alisonae Peyer et al., 2008

Postosuchus is an extinct reptile from the group of archosaurs that occurred in the Upper Triassic in North America.

Features

The previously found Postosuchus fossils are from two to five meters long copies. All currently known specimens of Postosuchus, compared with other Rauisuchiern, relatively slender limbs. He had a tall, narrow, provided with strong jaws skull externally which the carnivorous dinosaurs, the theropods possible. The jaws were set with different sizes, backward curved teeth. As the theropod was Postosuchus a Spitzenprädator his time. Of the two previously described species of the back of Postosuchus alisonae was covered with osteoderms. Postosuchus had longer rear -and front legs and walked on all four legs ( quadruped ). But maybe it was optional biped. The front legs could also have been used to capture prey, while meat pieces were torn out.

System

Despite the superficial similarity with theropod Postosuchus is not a dinosaur and not related to this close. Instead, it belongs to the Archosauriergruppe Crurotarsi, which also includes the present-day crocodiles. Dinosaurs are, however, representative of the Ornithodira. Crurotarsi and Ornithodira differ in the construction of the ankle joint, the joint line is at the Crurotarsi between the tarsal bones Astragalus and calcaneus, on the other hand is below at the Ornithodira. Within the Rauisuchidae Postosuchus is probably closely with Arizonasaurus, Chatterjeea and Sillosuchus related.