Suchosaurus

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Suchosaurus
Temporal range:
Ma
Holotype tooth of S. cultridens seen from two angles
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: †Spinosauridae
Subfamily: †Baryonychinae
Genus: †Suchosaurus
Owen, 1841
Type species
†Suchosaurus cultridens
Owen, 1841
Species
  • †S. cultridens Owen, 1841 (type)
  • †S. girardi
    Sauvage
    , 1897
Synonyms
  • Crocodylus (Suchosaurus) cultridens Owen, 1841
  • Milner
    , 1986

Suchosaurus (meaning "crocodile lizard") is a

plesiosaurs, mammals, and crocodyliforms
.

History of discovery

In about 1820, British

Wadhurst Clay of East Sussex, part of a lot with the present inventory number BMNH R36536. In 1822, he reported these, after an identification by William Clift, as belonging to crocodiles.[1] In 1824, the teeth were mentioned and illustrated by Georges Cuvier, representing the first fossil illustration of a spinosaurid dinosaur (though this group wouldn't be recognized for nearly another century).[2] In 1827 Mantell described additional teeth, pointing out the similarities to the crocodilians Teleosaurus and Gavialis.[3] One of these teeth is the present specimen BMNH R4415, others are part of BMNH R36536.[citation needed
]

lapsus calami (or "slip of the pen") because this species is not further mentioned.[citation needed
]

In 1897, French palaeontologist

Henri-Émile Sauvage named a second species: Suchosaurus girardi, based on two jaw fragments (specimen MG324) and a tooth, found in the Papo Seco Formation of Portugal by Swiss-Portuguese geologist Paul Choffat. The specific name honours French geologist Albert Girard.[9] The tooth was considered lost but was rediscovered and in 2013 reported as specimen MNHN/UL.I.F2.176.1, part of remains recovered after a fire in 1978.[10]

During the nineteenth and most of the twentieth century, Suchosaurus was usually considered to have been some obscure crocodilian, perhaps belonging to the Pholidosauridae.[11] Single comparable teeth discovered in England were referred to the genus.[7] However, when publishing a redescription of Baryonyx in 1998, British palaeontologist Angela Milner realised that the teeth of that spinosaurid dinosaur were extremely similar to those of Suchosaurus. In 2003, she suggested both genera represented one and the same animal.[12] An identity would imply the name Suchosaurus has priority. However, the Suchosaurus teeth are also indistinguishable from those of Cristatusaurus and Suchomimus, making it an indeterminate baryonychine.[citation needed]

Skeletal reconstruction of the related Baryonyx

In 2007, French palaeontologist

nomina dubia (dubious names) since their holotype specimens were not considered diagnostic (lacking distinguishing features) and could not be definitely equated with other taxa.[14]

Description

Holotype tooth of S. cultridens in 2011

In 2012,

roots that were one and a half times taller than the crown. Its teeth, like some other spinosaurids, bore flutes (lengthwise grooves), in S. girardi, there were eight flutes on the lingual side (which faced the inside of the mouth), and four less distinct flutes on the labial side (which faced the outside of the mouth). The tooth enamel, or outermost layer, had a microscopic wrinkled texture.[14]

Palaeoecology

life restoration

The Wadhurst Clay Formation, part of the

plesiosaur Hastanectes,[23] the crocodyliform Goniopholis[24] and the mammals Loxaulax,[25] Aegialodon,[26] Laolestes,[27] and Spalacotherium.[28]

References

  1. ^ Mantell, G.A., 1822, The fossils of the South Downs or Illustrations of the Geology of Sussex, London, Rupton Relfe
  2. ^ Cuvier, G., 1824, Recherches sur les ossemens fossiles, deuxième édition. Dufour & d’Ocagne, Paris. 547 pp
  3. ^ Mantell, G.A., 1827, Illustrations of the geology of Sussex, London, Lupton Relfe. 92 pp
  4. ^ Owen, R. (1840–1845). Odontography. London: Hippolyte Baillière, 655 pp, 1–32
  5. ^ Owen, R., 1842, Report on British fossil reptiles. Part II. Reports of the meetings of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. 11, pp 61-204
  6. ^ Owen, R., 1878, Monograph on the fossil Reptilia of the Wealden and Purbeck Formations. Supplement VIII, (Goniopholis, Petrosuchus, and Suchosaurus). Palaeontolographical Society Monographs, 32, pp 1-15
  7. ^ a b Lydekker, R., 1888, Catalogue of the Fossil Reptilia and Amphibia in the British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, S.W., Part 1. Containing the Orders Ornithosauria, Crocodilia, Dinosauria, Squamata, Rhynchocephalia, and Proterosauria. British Museum of Natural History, London. 309 pp
  8. ^ *Owen, R., 1884, A History of British Fossil Reptiles, Volume II. Cassell, London. 224 pp
  9. ^ Sauvage, H. E. (1897–1898). Vertébrés fossiles du Portugal. Contribution à l’étude des poissons et des reptiles du Jurassique et du Crétacique. Lisbonne: Direction des Travaux géologiques du Portugal, 46p
  10. ^ Malafaia, E.; Ortega, F.; Escaso, F.; Mocho, P., 2013, "Rediscovery of a lost portion of the holotype of Suchosaurus girardi (Sauvage, 1897-98), now related to the spinosaurid theropod Baryonyx", In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F.; Huerta, P. (Eds.). Abstract book of the VI International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment pp 82-84
  11. ^ Buffetaut, E., 2010, "Spinosaurs before Stromer: Early finds of spinosaurid dinosaurs and their interpretations", Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 343, pp 175-188
  12. ^ Milner, A., 2003, "Fish-eating theropods: A short review of the systematics, biology and palaeobiogeography of spinosaurs". In: Huerta Hurtado and Torcida Fernandez-Baldor (eds.). Actas de las II Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontologýa de Dinosaurios y su Entorno (2001). pp 129-138
  13. doi:10.1017/S0016756807003883
  14. ^
    doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2827.1.3
    .
  15. ^ Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2011) Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages, Winter 2010 Appendix.
  16. ^ Holtz, T. R. Jr. (2014). "Supplementary Information to Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages". University of Maryland. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  17. ISBN 9780565094973
    .
  18. ^ Hopson, P.M., Wilkinson, I.P. and Woods, M.A. (2010) A stratigraphical framework for the Lower Cretaceous of England. Research Report RR/08/03. British Geological Survey, Keyworth.
  19. ^ Lake, R.D. & Shepard-Thorn, E.R. (1987) Geology of the country around Hastings and Dungeness: Memoir for 1:50,000 geological sheets 320 and 321. British Geological Survey, London.
  20. ISBN 978-0-520-24209-8
    .
  21. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2011.03.001
  22. doi:10.1127/njgpa/2016/0576
    .
  23. S2CID 18562271
    .
  24. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00709.x
    .
  25. ^ Simpson, G. G. (1928). "A catalogue of the Mesozoic mammalia in the geological department of the British Museum". London: British Museum (Nat Hist).
  26. S2CID 39141524
    .
  27. ^ Foster, J. (2007). "Appendix." Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World. Indiana University Press. pp. 327-329.
  28. ^ "Spalacotherium Owen 1854 - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2020-04-21.

External links

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