Ornithosuchidae – Early Archosaurs with a Hyper-Specialized Jaw Apparatus

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Abstract

Among the early archosaurs, various ecological types are represented – from predators to herbivores, from terrestrial to semi-aquatic forms. A special place among them is occupied by the family Ornithosuchidae, which are traditionally considered as active predators. The unique structure of the jaw apparatus and the morphology of the postcranial skeleton of Ornithosuchidae indicate the formation in them the only special ecological type among archosaurs – a hyperanisodont macrophagous predator. At the same time, some analogies can be noted between ornithosuchids and saber-toothed therapsids and mammals.

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About the authors

A. G. Sennikov

Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: sennikov@paleo.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow, 117647

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2. Fig. 1. Skulls of carnivorous thecodonts and theropods, lateral view (right): a — proterosuchid Proterosuchus sp., Rubidge family collection, specimen no. RC846, Wellwood, Graaff-Reinet, South Africa; b — erythrosuchid Erythrosuchus africanus, Institute of Evolutionary Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, specimen no. BPI/5207; c — euparkeriid Euparkeria capensis, South African Iziko Museum, Cape Town, South Africa, specimen no. SAM 5867; g — ornithosuchid Riojasuchus tenuisceps, Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, Tucuman, Argentina, no. PVL 3827; d — coelophysid Coelophysis bauri, specimen PIN, no. 4769/18; e — tyrannosaurid Tarbosaurus bataar, specimen PIN, no. 551/2. Photo by A.G. Sennikov. E — mirror image.

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3. Fig. 2. Schemes of force distribution at the moment of prey compression: a — with akinetic and metakinetic skull construction, b — with mesokinetic skull construction, c — with akinetic and metakinetic skull construction, but with anisodonty, beak-shaped curvature of the premaxilla and scalloped alveolar edge of the jaws, ensuring retention of prey in the mouth. F — total jaw pressure force, F1 — force compressing the held object, F2 — force pushing the object out of the mouth (according to: Yudin, 1970, with additions).

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4. Fig. 3. Ornithosuchid skulls, lateral view (right): a — Riojasuchus tenuisceps (after: Baczko, Desojo, 2016); b — Dynamosuchus collisensis (after: Müller et al., 2020); c — Venaticosuchus rusconii (after: Baczko, 2018); d — Ornithosuchus longidens (after: Walker, 1964).

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5. Fig. 4. Riojasuchus tenuisceps, Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, specimen no. PVL 3827: a — skull, lateral view (right), b — left branch of the lower jaw, labial view (left). Photo by A.G. Sennikov.

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6. Fig. 5. Riojasuchus tenuisceps, Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, specimen no. PVL 3827, rostral part of the skull, right view. Photo by A.G. Sennikov.

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7. Fig. 6. Riojasuchus tenuisceps, Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, specimen no. PVL 3827, dentition of the maxillae: a, b — right maxilla, a — right view, b — ventro-labial view; c — left maxilla, ventral view. Photo by A.G. Sennikov.

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8. Fig. 7. Riojasuchus tenuisceps, Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, no. PVL 3827, rostral part of the left dentary, left view. Photo by A.G. Sennikova.

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9. Fig. 8. a – drawing of the imprint of the right maxillary bone of a large individual of Ornithosuchus longidens (after: Walker, 1964); b, c – teeth of the right maxillary bone of Venaticosuchus rusconii: b – the fourth and fifth, view from the lateral side, arrows indicate the denticles on the posterior cutting edge of the tooth, c – cross-section of the first tooth (after: Baczko et al., 2014); d – the largest tooth of the right maxillary bone of a juvenile individual of Ornithosuchus longidens (after: Newton, 1894).

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10. Fig. 9. Ornithosuchid skeletons, right side view: a — Riojasuchus tenuisceps (after: Baczko et al., 2019), b — Dynamosuchus collisensis (after: Müller et al., 2020).

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11. Fig. 10. Size ratio and proportions of the forelimb and hindlimb sections of the ornithosuchid Riojasuchus tenuisceps; a–c — medial (ventral) side view: a — Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, specimen no. PVL 3826, right humerus; b — Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, specimen no. PVL 3828, left forearm bones; c — Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, specimen no. No. PVL 3827, distal part of the forearm bones and incomplete hand of the left forelimb; g, d — Museum of Natural History of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, specimen No. PVL 3827, skeleton of the left hindlimb: g — left view, d — proximal (dorsal) view. Photo by A.G. Sennikov.

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12. Fig. 11. Skeleton of the right (a) and left (b) feet of the ornithosuchid Riojasuchus tenuisceps, Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, specimen no. PVL 3827, dorsal view: a — after Baczko et al., 2019, b — photo by A.G. Sennikov. Designations: ca — calcaneus, t4 — fourth distal tarsal element, t3 — third distal tarsal element, mt — metatarsal elements, I–V — finger numbers, ph — phalanges, un — ungual phalanges.

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13. Fig. 12. Ungual and preungual phalanges: a, b — crocodile Tomistoma schlegelii, I toe of the right foot, Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, specimen no. № R-9296: a — view from the medial side, b — view from the dorsal side; c, d — erythrosuchid Garjainia prima, 1st toe (?) of the right foot (isolated phalanges), specimen PIN, №№ 951/21 and 951/98: c — view from the medial side, g — view from the dorsal side; d–j — ornithosuchid Riojasuchus tenuisceps: d, f — 1st toe of the left foot, Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Fundación, specimen № PVL 3827: d — view from the medial side, f — view from the dorsal side; g, h — 1st toe of the right foot, Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Fundación, specimen № PVL 3827: g — medial view, h — dorsal view; i, k — II digit (?) of the right foot, Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, specimen № PVL 3828: i — medial view, k — dorsal view; l, m — dromaeosaurid Deinonychus antirrhopus, II digit of the right foot, specimen PIN, № 4769/16: l — medial view, m — dorsal view. a–h, l, m — photo by A.G. Sennikov; i, k — after: Baczko et al., 2019.

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14. Fig. 13. Riojasuchus tenuisceps, Natural History Museum of the Miguel Lillo Foundation, specimen no. PVL 3827, reconstruction of the skull with the mouth maximally open when capturing prey (similar to modern crocodiles), right view. Based on a photo by A.G. Sennikov.

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15. Fig. 14. Skulls of early theropods, left view: a — Daemonosaurus chauliodus (after: Sues et al., 2011), b — Coelophysis bauri (after: Colbert, 1989).

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