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Oryctorhynchus
Extinct genus of reptiles From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Oryctorhynchus is an extinct genus of rhynchosaur from the Late Triassic (Carnian-Norian)-aged Wolfville Formation of Nova Scotia, Canada that may have been the same animal as Beesiiwo.[1] The type species, O. bairdi, was named and described in 2020.[2] It was originally seen as a species of Hyperodapedon until 2020.
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Discovery and naming
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The holotype was discovered in the Wolfville Formation by Donald Baird; its earliest known mention is by Baird (1963).[3] Shortly after, it was informally named the "Nova Scotia Hyperodapedon" (H. sp.) by Robin Whatley in a 1984 paper published by J. A. Hopson.[4] It was briefly described by Michael Benton (1983) also as a species of Hyperodapedon.[5] It was then assigned to cf. "Hyperodapedon" sanjuanensis by Lucas et al., (2002).[6] The genus was not recognised as a distinct taxon until it was named in 2020.[2]
The holotype, NSM018GF009.012, consists of a partial jaw and several skull fragments including the rostrum and skull roof.[2][5]
Fitch et al. (2023) state that specimen NSM018GFF009.003 has "No unique support for [being] Oryctorhynchus bairdi, and [they] do not consider it a part of O . bairdi. These attributes better align with those found in Beesiiwo cooowuse... [they] suggest it is either a close relative of Beesiiwo or a member of such."[1]
Etymology
The genus name consists of the orycto prefix, which means burrow, and the rhynchus suffix, meaning snout; the full genus name means burrowed snout. The epithet honours David Baird, for his work on Triassic tetrapods from Nova Scotia.[2]
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Classification
Sues et al. (2020) placed Oryctorhynchus as the sister species to Hyperodapedon and an unnamed hyperodapedontine taxon from Wyoming.[2]
Paleoecology
Oryctorhynchus is from the Wolfville Formation (Upper Wolfville Member; Fundy Basin), which probably corresponds to the Popo Agie Formation. The age of the Upper Wolfville Member is unclear; it either dates from the latest Carnian? - earliest Norian? or the late Carnian (~230 Ma).[7]
It would have coexisted with Acadiella,[8] Arctotraversodon,[9] Arctosuchus buceros (?),[10] Haligonia,[8] Scoloparia[8] and Teraterpeton.[11]
References
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