30/05/2026
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• 2026 :: expectatus • A New shuvosaurid (Archosauria: Poposauroidea) from the Late Triassic (Norian) Hayden Quarry of , U.S.A.
novataxa.blogspot.com/2026/05/labrujasuchus.html
DOI: doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2618182
[[ Reconstruction of Labrujasuchus expectatus, a new species of Shuvosauridae from Late Triassic rocks of Ghost Ranch, New Mexico.
Artwork: Jorge Gonzalez/ Dinosaur Institute ]]
Bipedal shuvosaurid archosaurs were present for much of the Late Triassic Period. The clade is particularly diverse in Upper Triassic assemblages in the western U.S.A. Isolated bones are easily differentiated from contemporary archosaurs, but the two named North American species, inexpectatus and okeeffeae, display remarkably similar skeletons. Here we describe a new shuvosaurid species, Labrujasuchus expectatus, gen. et sp. nov., from the middle Norian (∼212 Ma) Hayden Quarry of northern New Mexico, U.S.A., located within the Petrified Forest Member of the Chinle Formation, that fills the temporal gap between the two species. The holotype consists of a partial skeleton, with additional shuvosaurid material from the Hayden Quarry likely pertaining to this taxon. This taxon is distinguished by four autapomorphies and assignable to Shuvosauridae based on a deep fossa present on the posterodorsal edge of the coracoid, the proximal portion of the humerus less than twice the width of the midshaft, the anteromedial tuber of the femur large and ‘hooked’ posteriorly, and a ventrally descended posterolateral portion of the femoral head. Recent Bayesian estimates of phylogeny and divergence times suggested a Middle Triassic split for Shuvosauridae as well as a decrease in the rate of morphological evolution for the clade relative to that of other archosaurs. The anatomical similarity of L. expectatus with other shuvosaurids is consistent with these estimated low rates, and the long gaps in the fossil record for the clade suggest that much of their evolutionary history remains to be sampled.
LABRUJASUCHUS gen. nov.
Etymology—The generic name Labrujasuchus (“la-broo-ha-soo-kus”) is derived from “Ranchos de los Brujos,” Ranch of the Witches, an old Spanish name for the area, and the Greek word Σοῦχος (suchus) meaning “crocodile.” It is masculine in gender.
LABRUJASUCHUS EXPECTATUS sp. nov.
Etymology—From the Latin “expectatus” for expected or awaited.
The species name is based on the anticipated nature of a shuvosaurid discovery at the Hayden Quarry.
A. H. Turner, C. E. Kernan, et al. 2026. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2618182
DOI: doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2618182 [26 May 2026]
