Description
- Rutiodon sp.
- Triassic Age
- Bull Canyon Formation
- San Miguel County, New Mexico
- Tooth Measures Approx. 1 3/16″ long
- Specimen will come in the 4″ x 5″ Riker Mount as Shown
Rutiodon (“Wrinkle tooth”) is an extinct genus of archosaur belonging to the family Phytosauridae. It lived during the Late Triassic period, and was about 3 to 8 meters in length. Like other phytosaurs, Rutiodon strongly resembled a crocodile, but its nostrils were positioned far back on the head, close to the eyes, instead of at the tip of the snout. It had enlarged front teeth, and a relatively narrow jaw, somewhat resembling that of a modern gharial. This suggests that this carnivore probably caught fish and it may also have snatched land animals from the waterside.  Also, like modern crocodiles, its back, flanks, and tail were covered with bony armored plates.
