REDESCRIPTION OF TURFANOSUCHUS DABANENSIS (ARCHOSAURIFORMES) AND NEW INFORMATION ON ITS PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS

Abstract

The skeleton of the archosauriform Turfanosuchus dabanensis Young, 1973 is redescribed on the basis of further preparation. For the first time a set of derived features is recognised for diagnosing this species. Re-examination of the specimen reveals the presence of palatal teeth in the pterygoid; the ventral entrance of the internal carotid arteries posterior to the basipterygoid processes; the calcaneal tuber shaft taller than broad; the absence of flaring of the distal end of the calcaneal tuber; the calcaneal tuber shaft convex laterally and concave medially; and the tibial facet on the astragalus simply concave. These features are strongly indicative that T. dabanensis is not a suchian and not even a crurotarsan, which sharply contrasts with its recently-proposed basal suchian status.