Gavialosuchus

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Gavialosuchus
Temporal range:
Ma[1]
↓
Gavialosuchus eggenburgensis skull
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Gavialidae
Genus: †Gavialosuchus
Toula and Kail, 1885
Type species
†Gavialosuchus eggenburgensis
Toula and Kail, 1885

Gavialosuchus is an

crocodylian from the early Miocene of Europe
. Currently only one species is recognized, as a few other species of Gavialosuchus have since been reclassified to other genera.

Taxonomy

The type species, G. eggenburgensis, is known from the early Miocene of Austria. Two other species - G. americanus and G. carolinensis - have since been reclassified to other genera.

Myrick Jr. (2001) proposed synonymizing Gavialosuchus americanus with

crocodyloids, and found relatively strong support for Piras et al. (2007) suggestion.[6] Weems (2018) agreed with Piras et al. (2007) and Brochu & Storrs (2012) at americanus and carolinensis are part of Thecachampsa.[7]

Below is a cladogram based morphological studies comparing skeletal features that shows Gavialosuchus as a member of Tomistominae, related to the false gharial:[8]

Crocodylidae

Crocodylinae

Tomistominae

Xaymacachampsa†

Megadontosuchus†

Kentisuchus†

Maroccosuchus†

Dollosuchoides†

Tomistoma cairense†

Maomingosuchus†

Tomistoma schlegelii False gharial

Gavialosuchus†

Tomistoma lusitanicum
†

Paratomistoma†

Tomistoma coppensi
†

Based on morphological studies of

gavialoids.[9] However, recent molecular studies using DNA sequencing have consistently indicated that the false gharial (Tomistoma) (and by inference other related extinct forms in Tomistominae) actually belong to Gavialoidea.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

Below is a

gavialid, related to both the gharial and the false gharial:[15]

Gavialidae

Gavialis gangeticus Gharial

Gavialis bengawanicus†

Gavialis browni†

Gryposuchus colombianus
†

Ikanogavialis†

Gryposuchus pachakamue
†

Piscogavialis†

Harpacochampsa†

Gavialosuchus†

Tomistoma lusitanicum
†

Tomistoma schlegelii False gharial

Ecology

Unlike its modern fresh water relatives, Gavialosuchus was an estuarine and coastal water crocodilian, living in shallow marine waters.

References

  1. PMID 34567843
    .
  2. ^ Myrick, A.C. Jr. (2001). "Thecachampsa antiqua (Leidy, 1852) (Crocodylidae: Thoracosaurinae) from the fossil marine deposits at Lee Creek Mine, Aurora, North Carolina, USA". Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. 90: 219–225.
  3. ^ Piras, P.; Delfino, M.; Del Favero, L.; Kotsakis, T. (2007). "Phylogenetic position of the crocodylian Megadontosuchus arduini and tomistomine palaeobiogeography" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 52 (2): 315–328.
  4. S2CID 86503283
    .
  5. doi:10.1139/E09-036
    .
  6. S2CID 85103427
    .
  7. doi:10.5479/si.1943-6688.100
    .
  8. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.02.002
    .
  9. ^ Brochu, C.A.; Gingerich, P.D. (2000). "New tomistomine crocodylian from the Middle Eocene (Bartonian) of Wadi Hitan, Fayum Province, Egypt". University of Michigan Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology. 30 (10): 251–268.
  10. PMID 12775527
    .
  11. PMID 12775528
    .
  12. PMID 17433721
    .
  13. PMID 18372192
    .
  14. PMID 22431965
    .
  15. ^
    PMID 30051855
    .
  16. PMID 33907305
    .
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