Overview
- The species Labrujasuchus expectatus was formally described in a Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology paper published in late May 2026, reporting fossil material from Ghost Ranch, New Mexico.
- Researchers reconstruct the animal as bipedal with long hind legs, markedly reduced forelimbs, and a toothless, beak-like snout based on the preserved bones.
- Authors place Labrujasuchus in the Shuvosauridae, making it one of five shuvosaurid species known from the region and filling a predicted gap between previously found fossils.
- The study argues the animal shows clear convergent evolution with ornithomimosaur dinosaurs because its body plan mirrors theropod-like, fast-running forms despite belonging to the crocodile lineage.
- The genus name references Ghost Ranch’s old Spanish name Ranchos de los Brujos and the discovery underlines the site’s long-running value for Triassic research while prompting further fieldwork and comparative analysis to test the study’s interpretations.