Thoracosaurus

Fo-rak-o-sore-us.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Thoracosaurus.

Phonetic

Fo-rak-o-sore-us.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Crocodilia,‭ ‬Gavialoidea.

Diet

Carnivore/Piscivore.

Species

T.‭ ‬neocesariensis‭

Size

Total body length in larger individuals easily up to‭ ‬4.5‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Across North America,‭ ‬Europe.‭ ‬Also reported fossils in Asia.

Time Period

Late Cretaceous/early‭ ‬Paleocence.

Fossil representation

Partial remains of numerous individuals.

In Depth

       Thoracosaurus is a medium-large gharial-like crocodile that lived during the late Cretaceous through to the Paleocene.‭ ‬Fossils of Thoracosaurus are usually associated with‭ ‬North American and European fossil deposits,‭ ‬but remains from other places such as‭ ‬India have also been reported.‭ ‬The sheer number of Thoracosaurus fossils seems to indicate that the genus was quite successful when compared to other similar creatures of the times and location that the genus existed.

Further Reading

– Osteology and phylogenetic significance of Eosuchus minor (Marsh, 1870) new combination, a longirostrine crocodylian from the Late Paleocene of North America. – Journal of Paleontology. 80 (1): 162–186. – C. A. Brochu – 2006.

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