In Depth Originally thought to be a skull of a pliosaur, the Plesiosuchus holotype remains were originally credited as a species of Steneosaurus by John Hulke in 1870 . Steneosaurus is a genus of teleosaurid crocodile, a type believed to be common in coastal locations such as estuaries where they fed upon fish. Later study … Read more
In Depth The skull that is the holotype of Calsoyasuchus is incomplete with quite a few pieces missing. However CT scanning of the skull has revealed the presence of an intricate network of air passages and a double walled secondary palate; a feature of modern crocodiles. How Calsoyasuchus fits into the development of modern crocodiles … Read more
In Depth Indosinosuchus is a genus of thalattosuchian (sea crocodile) that lived in waters around Asia, possibly around the late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous. Further reading - A new freshwater teleosaurid from the Jurassic of northeastern Thailand. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 38(6):e1549059. - J. E. Martin, S. Suteethorn, K. Lauprasert, H.-Y. Tong, E. Buffetaut, R. … Read more
In Depth Toyotamaphimeia was originally described as a prehistoric species of the Tomistoma genus, better known as the false gharial. Today the false gharial is known to attain lengths of up to five meters in the wild, with isolated skulls suggesting a theoretical limit of somewhere between five and a half and six meters long. … Read more
In Depth Further Reading A giant crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene of Kenya, the phylogenetic relationships of Neogene African crocodylines, and the antiquity of Crocodylus in Africa. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (3): 587. – C. A. Brochu & G. W. Storrs – 2012.
In Depth Barcinosuchus is a genus of peirosaurid crocodile that lived in South America during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - The first crocodyliform from the Chubut Group (Chubut Province, Argentina) and its phylogenetic position within basal Mesoeucrocodylia. - Cretaceous Research 30 (6): 1376–1386. - Juan Mart�n Leardi & Diego Pol - 2009.
In Depth Pabwehshi is a genus of terrestrial crocodile that lived and hunted on dry land. At the time of writing, Pabwehshi is only known from the Pab Formation of Pakistan where fossils of Pabwehshi were laid down during the Maastrichtian stage of the Cretaceous. Pabwehshi is usually credited as being a member if the … Read more
In Depth Kayentasuchus is a genus of small sphenosuchian crocodilomorph that lived in the south-west of the USA during the early Jurassic. Overall Kayentasuchus is noted for having a gracile build with slender limbs. The front of the skull is narrow with the lower jaw curved upwards, indicating that Kayentasuchus may have been quite specialised … Read more
In Depth Rugosuchus is a genus of crocodile the lived in China during the early half of the Late Cretaceous. Further Reading - Cranial anatomy of a new crocodyliform (Archosauria: Crocodylomorpha) from the Lower Cretaceous of Song-Liao Plain, northeastern China. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 38:1653-1663. - X.-C. Wu, Z.-W. Cheng & A. P. Russell … Read more
In Depth When the skull of Torvoneustes was originally described it was thought to belong to a species of Metriorhynchus, M. superciliosus. However the later discovery of post cranial remains led to the conclusion that the skull remains did not belong to that species of Metriorhynchus, and they were re-described as a new species of … Read more