Rhinesuchus capensis, HAUGHTON, 1925

RHINESUCHUS CAPENSIS HAUGHTON, 1925

Rhinesuchus capensis Haughton, 1925: 231 , original description; Schoch & Milner (2000: 72); Damiani & Rubidge (2003: 30).

Holotype: SAM-PK-7419, a fairly complete large skull lacking the right posterolateral border and part of the table at the level of the orbits ( Fig. 5A–D View Figure 5 ). The surface of the bones is poorly preserved, probably damaged during preparation; sutures are faintly defined and seem to be partially obliterated by the coarse ornamentation.

Type locality and horizon: Farm Spitzkop, Graaff-Reinet District [Eastern Cape Province, South Africa)], from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone (= ‘ Endothiodon zone’ Haughton, 1925), Lopingian ( Rubidge et al., 2013).

Remarks: Included under the same number as the holotype (SAM-PK-7419) there are two fragments of a nearly complete left hemimandible, including the articular region. Nevertheless, in his original description Haughton considered that the species could be conspecific with R. africanus but ‘as the type possesses no lower jaw, the matter must remain in doubt’ ( Haughton, 1925: 231). It thus appears that the mandible was not part of the original holotypic specimen, and its inclusion as part of the holotype is unknown.

Status: Valid as Rhinesuchoides capensis ( Haughton, 1925) comb. nov. (see Discussion)

Diagnosis: Large-sized rhinesuchids with wide and long-snouted skull showing a high degree of ossification; characterized by poorly developed sensory sulci with the infraorbital sulcus gently curved without flexures; vomers with a transverse vomerine tooth row anteriorly concave between the fangs; narrow parasphenoid plate with the pockets located medially to the basicranial sutures.