Scythosuchus
Scythosuchus is an extinct genus of rauisuchid. Remains have been found from Olenekian-age Lower Triassic beds in Russia, hence the name meaning 'Scythian crocodile'. The type and only species is S. basileus, described in 1999. Scythosuchus was between 2 and 3 metres long, and relatively heavily built. It is known from a partial skull, much of the spine, a fragment of the humerus and most of the hind leg and foot. It may have been the same animal as Tsylmosuchus donensis. Features Skull The skull material known is fragmentary, with a few parts of the cranium, the maxilla and some of the rostrum, and several examples of teeth. The maxilla is long, as is the preorbital fenestra just above it, and has a break indicating that there was probably a large medial process. The whole snout was slightly elongated but quite narrow. The blade-like teeth are laterally compressed and serrated, with a slight backwards curve, and would have been excellent for slicing through flesh, clearly indicating that Scythosuchus was a carnivore like other rauisuchids. The cranium is relatively small, and the postorbital bone is stout and thick with some rugosities in the central area. All of the squamosal processes are