Large Anterior Phytosaur (Pseudopalatus) Tooth

This is an unusual Triassic reptile fossil. It is a very large anterior (front of the jaw) "fang" tooth, from Pseudopalatus, a large phytosaur. It was collected from the Redonda Formation in Quay County, New Mexico. It's 1.23" in length and has good enamel preservation with some interesting wear facets to the tip. There is a repaired crack but no restoratoin and it comes in an acrylic display case.

Phytosaurs looked similar to modern day crocodiles with some minor differences. The main one being that their nostrils were up high on the head instead of at the very front of the snout. They grew up to 16 feet in length and were certainly one of the dominant predators at the time.