Calyptosuchus
Calyptosuchus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauria |
Clade: | Pseudosuchia |
Order: | †Aetosauria |
Family: | † Stagonolepididae
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Genus: | †Calyptosuchus Long & Ballew, 1985 |
Type species | |
†Calyptosuchus wellesi Long & Ballew ,1985
|
Calyptosuchus (meaning "covered crocodile") is an
Description
Calyptosuchus was estimated to have been four metres long, or possibly larger, with a maximum carapace width of almost seventy centimetres. The osteoderms were not entirely fused. Each row of the osteoderms corresponded to one vertebra, and comprised four dorsal osteoderms. Two small squarish osteoderms formed the outside of the row (about 10 by 10 cm), and two much broader osteoderms (approximately 20 by 10 cm) formed the inside of the row and covered most of the back. Each of the lateral osteoderms have a raised boss towards the centre at the posterior end of the osteoderm, and are almost bent around the side of the creature, with a dorsal flange along the back contacting the paramedian (dorsal) osteoderms and a lateral flange running a little way down the side. This would probably have given it quite a boxy look. The paramedian osteoderms also have a raised boss, called a dorsal eminence, in the posterior centre of the osteoderm but do not bend around in the same manner. There are ventral osteoderms known, but they have not been preserved in the natural alignment as the dorsal and lateral osteoderms have and so we are uncertain how they were arranged. They appear to have been flat and rectangular.[1]
The only
The vertebrae have keels, unusually among aetosaurs, and the
Several pelvic girdles are known, with ventral acetabula and thickened peduncles. The iliac blades are short, but very broad. The ischia are short and quite curved, with thickened areas and rugosities near the ends. Much of the pubis is slender, but the distal end expands until it is quite broad. The femur is gracile, or more so than Desmatosuchus, and has a pronounced crescent-shaped ridge near the proximal end. In a similar fashion, the tibia is also quite gracile and shorter than the femur. The distal end bears a deep groove for articulation with the ankle bones.[1]
Classification
Calyptosuchus was named by Long and Ballew (1985) on the basis of UMMP 13950, an partial carapace with a vertebral column and pelvis that had been discovered in the
References
- ^ PMID 29416953.
- ^ Case EC. 1932. A perfectly preserved segment of the armor of a phytosaur, with associated vertebrae. Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology. University of Michigan 4:57-80.
- ^ Long RA, Ballew KL. 1985. Aetosaur dermal armor from the late Triassic of southwestern North America, with special reference to material from the Chinle Formation of Petrified Forest National Park.
- ^ Heckert AB, Lucas SG. 2000. Taxonomy, phylogeny, biostratigraphy, biochronology, paleobiogeography, and evolution of the Late Triassic Aetosauria (Archosauria: Crurotarsi) Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie Teil I 1998 Heft 11–12:1539-1587
- ^ Long RA, Murry PA. 1995. Late Triassic (Carnian and Norian) tetrapods from the southwestern United States. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 4:1-254