Phyllodontosuchus
Phyllodontosuchus Temporal range: Early Jurassic
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauria |
Clade: | Pseudosuchia |
Clade: | Crocodylomorpha |
Genus: | †Phyllodontosuchus Harris et al., 2000 |
Species: | †P. lufengensis
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Binomial name | |
†Phyllodontosuchus lufengensis Harris et al., 2000
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Phyllodontosuchus (
like most other crocodylomorphs.History and description
Phyllodontosuchus is
There were 17 or 18 teeth per side in the upper jaw,
Heterodonty is known in several sphenosuchians, including Dibothrosuchus, Hesperosuchus, Pedeticosaurus, and Sphenosuchus. These forms had similar divisions of pointed and recurved anterior teeth and less pointed middle and posterior teeth, which could have been the ancestral state for the leaf-shaped teeth of Phyllodontosuchus. Small heterodont crocodylomorphs are known from other lineages as well, including Edentosuchus, Chimaerasuchus, and Malawisuchus. These small, variably-toothed crocodylomorphs are thought to have had diets beyond the typical carnivory/piscivory of modern crocodilians, possibly including some degree of herbivory. If Phyllodontosuchus did eat plants, it probably did not grind them in the jaws, though.[1]
Notes
^ * The tooth count in the abstract and diagnosis is 6 conical teeth and 12 leaf-shaped teeth, while the body of the paper describes a total of 17 teeth per side, ?5 of which are conical.
References
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