Dynamosuchus
Name:
Dynamosuchus
(Powerful crocodile).
Phonetic: Dy-nah-mo-soo-kus.
Named By: Rodrigo T. M�ller, M. Bel�n Von
Baczko, Julia B. Desojo & Sterling J. Nesbitt -
2020.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia,
Archosauria, Pseudoscuhia, Ornithosuchidae.
Species: D. collisensis
(type).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Holotype roughly estimated to be about
2-2.1 meters long.
Known locations: Brazil - Santa Maria Formation.
Time period: Carnian of the Triassic.
Fossil representation: Partial skull, jaw and post
cranial skeletal remains.
A
lot of painstaking work was undertaken by palaeontologists rebuilding
this animal, and when they done they found out that they had the
first ornithosuchian known from Brazil. Like relative genera,
Dynamosuchus had a hooked notch in its upper jaw
between the
premaxilla and maxilla (the two tooth bearing bones of the upper
jaw) and large teeth. Dynamosuchus has been
noted as being similar
to the genus Venaticosuchus
which is known from Argentina.
Dynamosuchus
is noted for having two rows of osteoderms that ran down the length of
the back, perhaps a specialisation to help protect the back from
larger predators biting down on top of it. Although principally
quadrupedal, ornithosuchians like Dynamosuchus
are thought to have at
least been capable of rearing up on just their hind legs.
Dynamosuchus
itself, while a meat eater may have been more of a scavenger than an
active carnivore. This is based upon assessment of the teeth and jaw
structure suggesting that Dynamosuchus was capable
of inflicting very
powerful bites (the inspiration of the name which means ‘powerful
crocodile’), Dynamosuchus did not seem to be
able to do so very
quickly. This may not have been such a drawback though as there were
a great many other types of predators active in South America during
the Triassic which would have been leaving partially eaten remains all
over the place. With that said however, even a carnivore more
predisposed to scavenging could potentially kill sick and injured
animals fairly easily.
The
Dynamosuchus holotype specimen was recovered from
brazils Santa Maria
Formation, meaning Dynamosuchus likely shared the
same habitat as
other animals such as rhynchosaurs
like Hyperodapedon,
cynodonts
like
Exaeretodon,
sauropodomoprh
dinosaurs like Bagualosaurus
and
Saturnalia,
and predatory dinosaurs such as Gnathovorax.
These are
but a small example of the very diverse fauna of Brazil’s Santa Maria
Formation.
Further reading
- The first ornithosuchid from Brazil and its macroevolutionary and
phylogenetic implications for Late Triassic faunas in Gondwana. -
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.- Rodrigo T. M�ller, M. Bel�n
Von Baczko, Julia B. Desojo & Sterling J. Nesbitt -
2020.
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