#morphoraptora

Ptychotherates bucculentus was a herrerasaurian dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic, about 205 million years ago, in what is now New Mexico, USA.

Probably around 2m long (~6'6"), it had a short deep skull and massive cheekbones – unusual features for an early saurischian, and convergently similar to those of some later theropods.

Along with its close relatives Tawa, Chindesaurus, and Daemonosaurus (a grouping collectively known as "morphoraptorans") it represents one of the latest-surviving known herrerasaurians, suggesting that these early-diverging carnivorous dinosaurs persisted in low-latitude regions until much closer to the end of the Triassic than previously thought.

———

NixIllustration.com | Tumblr | Patreon

New Dinosaur!

Ptychotherates bucculentus

A Herrerasaurian dinosaur found in Coelophysis Quarry of the Ghost Ranch locality of the Late Triassic Chinle Formation. Found among a fossil assemblage of Coelophysis.

It is yet another North American Herrerasaurian and is the foundation of a new clade called Morphoraptora. Containing it and closely related dinosaurs like Daemonosaurus and Chindesaurus.