Mahajangasuchus

Name: Mahajangasuchus ‭(‬Mahajanga crocodile‭)‬.
Phonetic: Ma-ha-jan-ga-soo-kus.
Named By: Buckley‭ & ‬Brochu‭ ‬-‭ ‬1998.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Mahajangasuchus,‭ ‬Mahajangasuchidae.
Species: M.‭ ‬insignis‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Uncertain.‭ ‬Approximately‭ ‬80‭ ‬centimetre skull.
Known locations: Madagascar‭ ‬-‭ ‬Maevarano Formation.
Time period: Late Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Almost complete skull and partial remains of other skulls.

       Not much is known about Mahajangasuchus,‭ ‬but the robust skull suggests a strong bite force even for a crocodile.‭ ‬The teeth of Mahajangasuchus were also conical and fairly blunt suggesting that they were used on larger prey like land animals rather than small prey like fish.
       Mahajangasuchus has been moved around quite a bit in its classification history.‭ ‬Currently Mahajangasuchus resides within the Mahajangasuchidae along with the‭ '‬boar croc‭'‬,‭ ‬Kaprosuchus.

Further reading
- An enigmatic new crocodile from the Upper Cretaceous of Madagascar, by G. A. Buckley & C. A. Brochu. - In Cretaceous Fossil Vertebrates. Special Papers in Palaeontology 60:149-175. - D. M. Unwin (ed.) - 1999.
- A skull of Mahajangasuchus insignis (Crocodyliformes) from the Upper Cretaceous of Madagascar. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 21 (3), supplement: A36. - G. A. Buckley - 2001.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Random favourites