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Ancistronychus Temporal range: Late Triassic ~Late Carnian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	†Drepanosauromorpha
Clade:	†Elyurosauria
Family:	†Drepanosauridae
Genus:	†Ancistronychus Gonçalves & Sidor, 2019
Species:	†A. paradoxus
Binomial name
†Ancistronychus paradoxus Gonçalves & Sidor, 2019

Ancistronychus is an extinct genus of drepanosaur from the Late Triassic Petrified Forest National Park in the Chinle Formation of Arizona. The type and only known species is Ancistronychus paradoxus, from Ancient Greek to mean "unexpected fishhook claw" due to its characteristic hooked shape. Ancistorhynchus is only known from a collection of isolated large claws from its second fingers, a distinctive trait of other derived drepanosaurs. Ancistorhynchus is characteristic amongst drepanosaurs by the strongly hooked shape of its claw, which is shorter in height and broader than those of Drepanosaurus, and is flat at its tip. The claw is also cleft at its tip, a trait found in living animals that use their claws for digging, such as moles and pangolins, by providing a larger attachment area for the keratin sheath of the claw. Likewise, functional analyses of its claws compared to other drepanosaurs and various living animals indicates that Ancistronychus used its large claw for digging underground, perhaps even for burrowing.

References

1. Gonçalves, G.S.; Sidor, C.A. (2019). "A new drepanosauromorph, Ancistronychus paradoxus n. gen. et sp., from the Chinle Formation of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, USA". PaleoBios. 36: ucmp_paleobios_46203. doi:10.5070/P9361046203. ISSN 0031-0298. S2CID 210142302.
2. Jenkins, X.A.; Pritchard, A.C.; Marsh, A.D.; Kligman, B.T.; Sidor, C.A.; Reed, K.E. (2020). "Using manual ungual morphology to predict substrate use in the Drepanosauromorpha and the description of a new species". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 40 (5): e1810058. Bibcode:2020JVPal..40E0058J. doi:10.1080/02724634.2020.1810058.

v t e Sauropsida (Reptilia sensu lato)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Superclass: Tetrapoda Clade: Amniota Tetrapodomorpha see Tetrapodomorpha Reptiliomorpha see Reptiliomorpha Sauropsida see below↓
Sauropsida Sauropsida †Australothyris †Erpetonyx †Microleter †Acleistorhinidae Acleistorhinus Carbonodraco Colobomycter Delorhynchus Feeserpeton Karutia Klastomycter †Bolosauridae Belebey Bolosaurus Eudibamus †Mesosauria Brazilosaurus Mesosaurus Stereosternum †Millerettidae Broomia Heleophilus Milleretta Millerosaurus Milleropsis Nanomilleretta †Procolophonia see Procolophonia Diapsida see below↓
Diapsida Diapsida †Adelosaurus? †Claudiosaurus †Cryptovaranoides †Dolerosaurus †Elachistosuchus †Eunotosaurus? †Feralisaurus †Heleosuchus †Kenyasaurus †Kudnu †Lanthanolania †Maiothisavros †Microzemiotes †Orovenator †Palacrodon †Palaeagama †Saurosternon †Sphodrosaurus †Younginidae Galesphyrus Thadeosaurus Youngina †Tangasauridae Acerosodontosaurus? Hovasaurus Tangasaurus †Weigeltisauridae Coelurosauravus Glaurung Rautiania Weigeltisaurus †Drepanosauromorpha Ancistronychus Avicranium Dolabrosaurus Drepanosaurus Hypuronector Kyrgyzsaurus Longisquama? Megalancosaurus Protoavis? Skybalonyx Unguinychus Vallesaurus †Kuehneosauridae Icarosaurus Idiosaura? Kuehneosaurus Kuehneosuchus Pamelina Rhabdopelix? †Choristodera see Choristodera †Ichthyosauromorpha see Ichthyosauromorpha †Sauropterygia see Sauropterygia †Thalattosauria see Thalattosauria Sauria (Crown-Reptilia) Lepidosauromorpha see Lepidosauromorpha Includes Lepidosauria includes rhynchocephalians and squamates Archelosauria Archosauromorpha see Archosauromorpha Includes Archosauria includes birds and crocodilians Pantestudines see Pantestudines Includes Testudines turtles
See also Possible sauropsids Araeoscelidia Captorhinidae Protorothyrididae Recumbirostra Varanopidae Other taxa Anapsida Captorhinida Eureptilia Parareptilia Lanthanosuchoidea Millerosauria Procolophonomorpha Ankyramorpha Neodiapsida Eosuchia Younginiformes Avicephala Eolacertilia Euryapsida
Category

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• Drepanosaurs
• Late Triassic reptiles of North America
• Fossil taxa described in 2019
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