Glossary RIC - RUT
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RICH, THOMAS H.
Dr. Thomas H. Rich is an Australian paleontologist and author. Rich has
unEarthed many important finds in Victoria, Australia, Alaska, USA, and
Patagonia, South America. He co-named (with his wife P. Vickers-Rich)
the dinosaurs Leaellynasaura (1989) and Timimus(1994) (both named for
his children), Atlascopcosaurus (1989), Qantassaurus (1999), Tehuelchesaurus
(1999, also with Gimenez, Candúneo, Puerta, and Vacca), the important
early Australian mammal Ausktribosphenos, and others.
RILEYASUCHUS
(pronounced RIE-lee-ah-SOOK-us) Rileyasuchus (meaning: "H. Riley's
crocodile") was an early theropod dinosaur from the late Triassic
Period. Fossils of this bipedal carnivore have been found in Europe. The
type species is R. bristolensis. Rileyasuchus was named by Kuhn in 1961.
It was originally known as Rileya, named by paleontologist von Huene in
1902.
RIOARRIBASAURUS
(pronounced REE-oh-ah-REE-bah-SAWR-us) Rioarribasaurus was a lightly-built,
fast, theropod dinosaur. This bipedal, carnivore lived during the late
Triassic Period. This small ceratosaurian was about 10 feet (3 m) long.
Hundreds of fossils were found at the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, USA in
1947 by paleontologist Edwin H. Colbert. Rioarribasaurus and Coelophysis
are similar dinosaurs (they may be the same).
RIOJASAURUS
(pronounced ree-OH-ha-SAWR-us) Riojasaurus was a prosauropod dinosaur,
a quadrupedal, long-necked herbivore from the late Triassic and early
Jurassic periods.
ROSTRAL BONE
The rostral bone is a bone found only in ceratopsian dinosaurs (like Triceratops,
Styracosaurus, and Protoceratops). This bone was located at the tip of
the upper jaw.
RUEHLEIA
Ruehleia (named to honor the German paleontologist Hugo Ruehle von Lilienstern
(1882-1946)) was an early plant-eating dinosaur that lived during the
late Triassic Period (the late Norian). This plateosaurid prosauropod
was found in Germany. Ruehleia was named by Galton in 2001; the type species
is R. bedheimensis.
RUGOSE
Rugose means ridged, rough, or wrinkled.
RUMINANT
A ruminant is an animal that digests its food many times. This food is
usually tough plant material like grasses. Ruminants include cows, sheep,
antelopes, and camels.
RUSSELL, DALE A.
Dr. Dale Alan Russell is a vertebrate paleontologist and author. He is
a Research Professor at North Carolina State University and Senior Curator
of Paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Russel
has named the following dinosaurs: Alxasaurus (Russell and Dong, 1994),
Archaeornithomimus (1972), Atlasaurus (Monbaron, Russell and Taquet, 1999),
Cristatusaurus (Taquet and Russell, 1998), Daspletosaurus (1970), Dromiceiomimus
(1972), Dyslocosaurus (McIntosh, Coombs and Russell, 1992), Lurdusaurus
(Taquet and Russell, 1999), Sigilmassasaurus (Russell, 1996), and Sinornithoides
(Russell and Dong, 1994). Russell has written many papers and books, including,
"Odyssey in Time: The Dinosaurs of North America" 1989 and "Systematics
and Morphology of American Mosasaurs" (1967). In 1971, Russell and
the physicist Wallace Tucker published a paper (in the journal Nature)
called "Supernovae and the extinction of the dinosaurs," which
theorized that a supernova caused the K-T Extinction. This was the first
theory to put the blame on an extra-terrestrial phenomenon.
RUTIODON
(pronounced ROO-tee-oh-don) Rutiodon (meaning: "wrinkled tooth")
was a phytosaur (not a dinosaur). This aquatic reptile had a long snout,
four short legs, and a long tail; it looked a bit like a crocodile, but
had nostrils near the eyes. This meat-eater went extinct at the end of
the Triassic Period. Like other phytosaurs, Rutiodon may have built nests
and protected their eggs. Fossils (an incomplete skull whose teeth have
strong vertical striations) have been found in North America. Rutiodon
was named by Emmons in 1856.