PBDB Taxon

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Rhineura hatcherii

Osteichthyes - Rhineuridae

Taxonomy

Rhineura hatcherii was named by Baur (1893). Its type specimen is PU 11389, a skull (articulated skull and lower jaws), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Battle Spring Draw (Lower Nodular Zone), which is in an Orellan terrestrial horizon in the Brule Formation of South Dakota.

Sister species lacking formal opinion data

R. hatcheri

Synonyms

Platyrhachis coloradoensis was named by Cope (1873). Its type specimen is AMNH No. 1607, a set of vertebrae, and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was recombined as Rhineura coloradoensis by Gilmore (1928), Hay (1930); it was considered a nomen dubium by Sullivan and Holman (1996); it was synonymized subjectively with Rhineura hatcherii by Maddox and Wall (1998).
Rhineura hibbardi was named by Taylor (1951). Its type specimen is Univ. Michigan Mus. Paleont. No. 25431 (partial skull with lower jaws) and is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Smith Ranch, which is in an Orellan terrestrial horizon in the Brule Formation of Colorado.

It was synonymized subjectively with Rhineura hatcherii by Maddox and Wall (1998).
Rhineura amblyceps was named by Taylor (1951). Its type specimen is KUVP No. 7649, a partial skull (basal portion of skull), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Cedar Creek (Lower), which is in an Orellan terrestrial horizon in the Brule Formation of Colorado.

It was synonymized subjectively with Rhineura hatcherii by Maddox and Wall (1998).
Rhineura wilsoni was named by Taylor (1951). Its type specimen is KUVP No. 7651, a partial skull (nearly complete skull lacking squamosal, quadrate, columella, extracolumella, and entire lower jaws), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Cedar Creek (Lower), which is in an Orellan terrestrial horizon in the Brule Formation of Colorado.

It was synonymized subjectively with Rhineura hatcherii by Maddox and Wall (1998).
Gilmoreia attenuatus was named by Taylor (1951). Its type specimen is USNM 16308, a partial skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Small badland area bisected by US20, 8 miles east of Douglas, which is in an Orellan terrestrial horizon in the Brule Formation of Wyoming.

It was recombined as Rhineura attenuatus by Estes (1983); it was synonymized subjectively with Rhineura hatcherii by Maddox and Wall (1998).
Rhineura minutus was named by Gilmore (1938). Its type specimen is USNM 12158 (skull, lower jaws, 23 articulated vertebrae and a few incomplete ribs) and is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Small badland area bisected by US20, 8 miles east of Douglas, which is in an Orellan terrestrial horizon in the Brule Formation of Wyoming.

It was recombined as Pseudorhineura minuta by Vanzolini (1951); it was synonymized subjectively with Rhineura hatcherii by Maddox and Wall (1998).
Rhineura sternbergii was named by Walker (1932). Its type specimen is Walker type (no cat. no.), a skull (skull and lower jaws), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Small badland area bisected by US20, 8 miles east of Douglas, which is in an Orellan terrestrial horizon in the Brule Formation of Wyoming.

It was synonymized subjectively with Rhineura hatcherii by Maddox and Wall (1998).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1873	Platyrhachis coloradoensis Cope p. 19
1893	Rhineura hatcherii Baur p. 998
1902	Rhineura hatcherii Hay p. 476
1902	Platyrhachis coloradoensis Hay p. 477
1928	Rhineura coloradoensis Gilmore p. 42
1930	Rhineura coloradoensis Hay p. 250
1930	Rhineura hatcherii Hay p. 250
1932	Rhineura sternbergii Walker p. 225
1938	Rhineura minutus Gilmore p. 12 fig. 1
1938	Rhineura sternbergii Gilmore p. 15
1951	Gilmoreia attenuatus Taylor
1951	Rhineura hibbardi Taylor p. 539
1951	Rhineura amblyceps Taylor p. 543
1951	Rhineura wilsoni Taylor p. 548
1951	Gilmoreia attenuatus Tayor
1951	Pseudorhineura minuta Vanzolini
1976	Rhineura hatcherii Yatkola p. 647
1983	Rhineura attenuatus Estes
1998	Rhineura hatcherii Maddox and Wall p. 6

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
class	Osteichthyes
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha

Rank	Name	Author
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
—	Squamata	()
infraorder	Amphisbaenia	Gray 1844
—	Rhineuroidea
family	Rhineuridae	Vanzolini 1951
genus	Rhineura	Cope 1861
species	hatcherii

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Rhineura hatcherii Baur 1893

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Invalid names: Rhineura amblyceps Taylor 1951 [synonym], Rhineura attenuatus Taylor 1951 [synonym], Rhineura coloradoensis Cope 1873 [synonym], Rhineura hibbardi Taylor 1951 [synonym], Rhineura minutus Gilmore 1938 [synonym], Rhineura sternbergii Walker 1932 [synonym], Rhineura wilsoni Taylor 1951 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

phosphaticsubp

Environment:

terrestrialinfrao

Locomotion:

actively mobilec

Life habit:

fossorialinfrao

Diet:

insectivoreinfrao

Created:

2005-09-16 14:12:18

Modified:

2005-09-16 16:12:18

Source: infrao = infraorder, c = class, subp = subphylum

References: Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988, Pianka and Vitt 2003, Kiessling 2004

Age range: base of the Chadronian to the top of the Orellan or 37.00000 to 31.80000 Ma

Collections (8 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Chadronian	37.0 - 33.9	USA (Colorado)	Rhineura coloradoensis (16977)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (South Dakota)	Rhineura hatcherii (type locality: 17067 179966)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (Wyoming)	Rhineura minutus, Rhineura sternbergii, Gilmoreia attenuatus (125185)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (Nebraska)	Rhineura hatcherii (17059 179967)
Orellan	33.9 - 31.8	USA (Colorado)	Rhineura amblyceps, Rhineura wilsoni (17081) Rhineura hibbardi, Rhineura amblyceps, Rhineura wilsoni (180696)