Teleosauridae
| Teleosauridae | |
|---|---|
| |
Platysuchus multiscrobiculatus , Holzmaden Germany
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Archosauria |
| Clade: | Pseudosuchia |
| Clade: | Crocodylomorpha |
| Clade: | Crocodyliformes |
| Suborder: | †Thalattosuchia |
| Parvorder: | †Neothalattosuchia |
| Superfamily: | †Teleosauroidea |
| Family: | †Teleosauridae Geoffroy, 1831 |
| Subgroups | |
| |
| Synonyms | |
Teleosauridae is a
superfamily Teleosauroidea. However, as teleosauroid relationships and diversity was better studied in the 21st century, the division of teleosauroids into two distinct evolutionary lineages led to the establishment of Teleosauridae as a more restrictive family within the group, together with its sister family Machimosauridae
.
Amongst teleosauroids, teleosaurids were generally smaller and less common than machimosaurids, suggesting the two families occupied different
piscivores (Bathysuchus), and potentially even long-snouted, semi-terrestrial predators (Teleosaurus). Additionally, teleosaurids occupied a wider range of habitats than machimosaurids, from semi-marine coasts and estuaries, the open-ocean, freshwater, and potentially even semi-terrestrial environments.[2]
Classification
Teleosauridae is
subfamilies
, the Teleosaurinae and the Aeolodontinae.
| Thalattosuchia |
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Palaeobiology
Teleosaurids were originally regarded as marine analogues to modern
gharials, as they both typically share long, tubular snouts and narrow teeth. However, differences in the jaws, teeth, and skeleton of different teleosaurids suggest that they were more ecologically diverse than this. Earlier teleosaurids were coastal semi-aquatic generalists, while the two subfamilies were more specialised. Teleosaurines appear to have been semi-terrestrial, as they were more heavily armoured and had forward-facing nostrils. In contrast, aeolodontines have been found in deep marine waters and had reduced armour, implying that they were open water predators similar to metriorhynchoids (although the oldest aeolodontine, Mycterosuchus, appears to have been semi-terrestrial, similar to teleosaurines).[2][3]
Palaeoecology
Distribution
Definitive fossils of teleosaurids are restricted to Laurasia, with material found in Europe(England, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia and Switzerland) and Asia (China and Thailand, and possibly India).[2]
