Litargosuchus

Lit-ar-go-su-kuss.
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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

Litargosuchus ‭(‬running fast crocodile‭)‬.

Phonetic

Lit-ar-go-su-kuss.

Named By

J.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Clark‭ & ‬H.-D.‭ ‬Sues‭ ‬-‭ ‬2002.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Crocodylomorpha,‭ ‬Sphenosuchia,‭ ‬Sphenosuchidae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

L.‭ ‬leptorhynchus‭

Size

Skull roughly‭ ‬7‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

South Africa‭ ‬-‭ ‬Elliot Formation.

Time Period

Hettangian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Complete skull and partial post cranial skeleton.

In Depth

       Initially thought to represent Pedeticosaurus,‭ ‬though not assigned to an exact species,‭ ‬Litargosuchus was later established upon the description of a complete skull and partial post cranial skeleton.‭ ‬Litargosuchus would have been a fast running predator of smaller vertebrates such as lizards,‭ ‬though larger invertebrates may have also been taken.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Two new basal crocodylomorph archosaur from the Lower Jurassic and the monophyly of the Sphenosuchia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society‭ ‬136:77-95.‭ ‬-‭ ‬J.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Clark‭ & ‬H.-D.‭ ‬Sues‭ ‬-‭ ‬2002.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT