Adamantinasuchus

Ad-ah-man-te-nah-soo-kus.
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Claire Morris

Marine Paleontologist

Claire Morris has dedicated her career to exploring the depths of prehistoric oceans. Her fascination with ancient marine life has led her to discover significant fossils that illuminate the evolution of early sea creatures.

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Name

Adamantinasuchus ‭(‬Adamantina crocodile,‭ ‬after the Adamantina Formation‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ad-ah-man-te-nah-soo-kus.

Named By

Pedro Henrique Nobre‭ & ‬Ismar de Souza Carvalho‭ ‬-‭ ‬2006.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Crocodylomorpha,‭ ‬Notosuchia,‭ ‬Ziphosuchia.

Diet

Uncertain.

Species

A.‭ ‬navae‭

Size

Skull 6 centimetres long. Body length About‭ ‬50 to 60‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

Brazil‭ ‬-‭ ‬Adamantina Formation.

Time Period

Turonian to Santonian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

About seven individuals represented by partial cranial and post cranial remains.

In Depth

       Adamantinasuchus was a fairly small notosuchian crocodylomorph from the late Cretaceous Adamantina Formation of Brazil,‭ ‬Many crurotarsans are known from the Adamantina Formation,‭ ‬including Armadillosuchus,‭ ‬Morrinhosuchus,‭ ‬Baurusuchus and Mariliasuchus to name just a few.‭ ‬Out of these,‭ ‬Adamantinasuchus may have been most similar to Mariliasuchus.‭ ‬The teeth of Adamantinasuchus suggest a possible carnivorous lifestyle,‭ ‬though they could have been used for a more specialised diet.

       Adamantinasuchus should not be confused with the similarly named sauropod dinosaur Adamantisaurus.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Adamantinasuchus navae:‭ ‬A new Gondwanan Crocodylomorpha‭ (‬Mesoeucrocodylia‭) ‬from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil‭ ‬-‭ ‬Pedro Henrique Nobre‭ & ‬Ismar de Souza Carvalho‭ ‬-‭ ‬2006.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT