Open Paleo

Lycorhinus

Haughton, 1924 LIEK-o-RIEN-us

From Ancient Greek 'lykos' (wolf) and 'rhinos' (nose); meaning 'wolf nose', referring to the shape of the snout or teeth

201.4–192.9 million years ago Hettangian–Sinemurian, Early Jurassic
Early Jurassic stages

Lycorhinus is a genus of heterodontosaurid ornithischian dinosaur from the Early Jurassic (Hettangian to Sinemurian ages) strata of the Elliot Formation located in the Cape Province, South Africa.

Diagnosis

  1. Long powerful canine with ridged and serrated anterior border, posterior border ridged but unserrated
  2. Molars with cingulum halfway up crown on inner side; crowns laterally compressed and longer than broad above cingulum
  3. Molars from 4th onwards with two cusps: large anterior cusp occupying two-thirds of grinding surface and smaller lower posterior cusp
  4. Molars 2-4 with additional anterior cusp in advance of main anterior cusp
  5. Inner face of molars with groove running between cusps-to-cingulum ridges

Species

Lycorhinus angustidens Haughton, 1924

Type species

From Latin 'angustus' meaning 'narrow' and 'dens' meaning 'tooth', referring to the narrow teeth of the holotype jaw.

Holotype
SAM 3606 , Iziko South African Museum
Material
Portion of left dentary with canine and 11 molars (7 preserved, 4 impressions only).
Notes
Owing to partial loss of the original material, the cast UCRC PVC10 has been used in subsequent taxonomic assessments.
Horizon
upper Elliot Formation, Hettangian–Sinemurian, Early Jurassic , 201.4–192.9 million years ago
Locality
Paballong, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Synonyms of the genus

Name Type Reason
Lanasaurus junior subjective Additional material allowed direct comparison and demonstrated that Lanasaurus is referable to Lycorhinus.

Notable specimens

  • NHMUK PV RU A 100

    Natural History Museum complementary

    Referred partial skull from Paballong, the holotype locality. Preserving premaxilla, maxilla, jugal, postorbital, frontal, nasal, and toothed mandible, it provides cranial anatomy absent in the jaw-only holotype. Sereno referred it to Lycorhinus angustidens in 2012.

    Sereno (2012)

References

  1. Haughton, S. H. (1924). The fauna and stratigraphy of the Stormberg Series. Annals of the South African Museum 12: 323-497. haughton1924a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass and hip height estimates, and the appearance features.

    jones2026a
  3. Sereno, P. C. (2012). Taxonomy, morphology, masticatory function and phylogeny of heterodontosaurid dinosaurs. ZooKeys 226: 1-225. Pensoft Publishers. doi:10.3897/zookeys.226.2840 sereno2012a
  4. Norman, D. B.; Crompton, A. W.; Butler, R. J.; Porro, L. B.; Charig, A. J. (2011). The Lower Jurassic ornithischian dinosaur Heterodontosaurus tucki Crompton & Charig, 1962: cranial anatomy, functional morphology, taxonomy, and relationships. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 182-276. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00697.x

    Gives the holotype's locality as Paballong and its horizon as the upper Elliot, distinguishing it from the Golden Gate material.

    norman2011a