Full Breakdown
Ghost Ranch Yields New Bipedal Croc Ancestor, *Labrujasuchus expectatus*
5/28/2026, 11:20:43 AM
New Species and Its Context
Paleontologists have described *Labrujasuchus expectatus*, a shuvosaurid archosaur from the Late Triassic of Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, published in the *Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology*. The animal walked on two legs, had tiny forelimbs, a toothless beak, and a body plan resembling ornithomimosaurian dinosaurs despite belonging to the crocodile lineage. The genus name references the historic “Ranchos de los Brujos” (Ranch of the Witches); the species epithet reflects the expectation of an intermediate form.
Researchers and Collaboration
The study was led by Dr. Alan Turner of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, with Dr. Nate Smith, Director & Curator of the NHMLAC Dinosaur Institute, as co-author. Their work builds on two decades of excavation at Ghost Ranch, a site that hosts four long-standing quarries and has produced some of the most complete Triassic fossils.
Data Summary
- Five shuvosaurid species are now documented from Ghost Ranch, including *L. expectatus*.
- The site has 20 years of continuous excavation across four active quarries.
Evolutionary Significance
*Labrujasuchus* exemplifies convergent evolution: bipedalism, a hallmark of non-avian dinosaurs and later birds, also evolved in this crocodile-related lineage. By filling a temporal gap between earlier and later shuvosaurids, the species clarifies their evolutionary trajectory and informs broader models of archosaur diversification.
Official Statements
Dr. Turner said the find validates expectations of intermediate shuvosaurids and shows how Triassic ecosystems produced strategies later seen in dinosaurs and birds. Dr. Smith highlighted Ghost Ranch’s pivotal role in expanding knowledge of the Triassic.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We see a lot of the successful strategies for modern animals and non-avian dinosaurs first arise in the Triassic, and shuvosaurs are a great example of that convergent evolution,” — Dr. Alan Turner, lead author, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
- “Bipedalism is certainly a unique path for crocodile relatives to take, but it’s a path well-trod by dinosaurs and later birds. It obviously worked for these animals.” — Dr. Alan Turner, lead author
- “Legend has it, the local rancheros gave the site the name ‘Ranchos de Los Brujos’ to keep folks away from the cattle-rustling operations of the Archuleta brothers,” — Dr. Nate Smith, co-author, NHMLAC Dinosaur Institute
- “We wanted to give a nod to that colorful history, and honor the incredible role Ghost Ranch has played in expanding our view of the Triassic.” — Dr. Nate Smith, co-author
Future Work
The team will excavate additional quarry sections at Ghost Ranch, seeking more shuvosaurid specimens to refine the phylogenetic timeline, while further analysis of *L. expectatus* will aid studies of archosaur locomotion.
