Class Reptilia Rank Genus | Phylum Chordata | |
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Similar Hypselorhachis, Dyoplax, Ctenosauriscidae, Diandongosuchus, Bergisuchus | ||
Bystrowisuchus is an extinct genus of ctenosauriscid pseudosuchian archosaur from the Early Triassic of European Russia. Fossils have been found in the Olenekian-age Lipovskaya Formation in Ilovlinsky District. The type species is Bystrowisuchus flerovi.
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Description
Bystrowisuchus flerovi is based on a holotype specimen including six cervical or neck vertebrae and a partial right ilium or hip bone. Its total body length is estimated at 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 ft).
Discovery
The holotype specimen of Bystrowisuchus was found near the eastern banks of the Don River in Ilovlinsky District, Volgograd Oblast. It came from a fossil site known as the Donskaya Luka locality, which preserves a wide diversity of Early Triassic tetrapod fossils. Along with Bystrowisuchus, the Donskaya Luka fossil assemblage includes temnospondyl amphibians, a chroniosuchian, a procolophonid, a sauropterygian, a protorosaurian, possible trilophosaurid archosauromorphs, two rauisuchid archosaurs, and a dicynodont. Elongated neural spines previously attributed to the rauisuchid Scythosuchus basileus may belong instead to Bystrowisuchus.