Rioarribasuchus chamaensis Reconstruction

Here is Jeff Martz's recent reconstruction of the aetosaur Rioarribasuchus chamaensis.

His reconstruction is a little different than the one in my 2007 paper. He felt that in the original reconstruction I had the paramedian plates with the pronounced spines too far forward and after much discussion I concur. 

I think that this new reconstruction is probably fairly accurate given what we know about Rioarribasuchus and other paratypothoracisin aetosaurs, and it contrasts strongly from other reconstructions that still portray it as a Desmatosuchus-like aetosaur. This relationship was refuted by phylogenetic analysis, and although I really like Matt Celeskey's artwork, the reconstruction as a desmatosuchine is not based upon any actually recovered fossil material. All of the osteoderms with spines in the Rioarribasuchus type material are paramedian plates from the caudal region and nothing homologous with the cervical lateral spines in Desmatosuchus are known.

REFERENCE

Parker, W. G. 2007. Reassessment of the Aetosaur 'Desmatosuchus' chamaensis with a

reanalysis of the phylogeny of the Aetosauria (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 5:41-68. DOI: 10.1017/S1477201906001994