Montsecosuchus

Last updated

Montsecosuchus
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous
Montsecosuchus.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Family: Atoposauridae
Genus: Montsecosuchus
Buscalioni and Sanz, 1990
Type species
Montsecosuchus depereti
(Vidal, 1915 [originally Alligatorium ])

Montsecosuchus is an extinct genus of atoposaurid crocodylomorphs. It is the replacement generic name for Alligatorium depereti, which was described in 1915 from the Montsec Lithographic Limestone quarry of Spain. [1] Fossils found from this locality are from the Early Cretaceous, being Upper Berriasian-Lower Valanginian in age, belonging to the La Pedrera de Rúbies Formation [2] While many publications concerning atoposaurids after 1915 have included mentions of A. depereti, none has offered a redescription or revision of the species, though some recognized that great differences existed between it and other members of the genus. [3] [4] In these publications, the skull of A. depereti was shorter in relation to body length than any other species of Alligatorium (being less than half of the presacral length), and this may have been evidence for the genetic distinction of the species, although no replacement name was proposed. [5] [6] However, better preparation of the holotype specimen MGB 512, a nearly complete articulated skeleton embedded in a limestone matrix now housed in the Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, [7] allowed for a revision of the species in 1990 in which the name Montsecosuchus was first used. [8]

Holotype of Montsecosuchus genus Montsecosuchus depereti P1270132.jpg
Holotype of Montsecosuchus genus

Montsecosuchus differs in several ways from other atoposaurids such as Alligatorium, Alligatorellus , and Theriosuchus . Several characteristics of the skull including the presence of an ungrooved parietal-squamosal suture and a caudally projecting retroarticular process distinguish Montsecosuchus from these genera. Both Montsecosuchus and Alligatorellus possess three sacral vertebrae; this may be a shared synapomorphy of the two genera. The shortness of the radius is an autapomorphy of the genus that is not seen in any other atoposaurid, although it is common in more derived crocodylomorphs.

Related Research Articles

<i>Dakosaurus</i> Metriorhynchid reptile genus from the Late Jurassic / Early Cretaceous period

Dakosaurus is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph within the family Metriorhynchidae that lived during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. It was large, with teeth that were serrated and compressed lateromedially. The genus was established by Friedrich August von Quenstedt in 1856 for an isolated tooth named Geosaurus maximus by Theodor Plieninger in 1846. Dakosaurus was a carnivore that spent much, if not all, its life out at sea. The extent of its adaptation to a marine lifestyle means that it is most likely that it mated at sea, but since no eggs or nests have been discovered that have been referred to Dakosaurus, whether it gave birth to live young at sea like dolphins and ichthyosaurs or came ashore like turtles is not known. The name Dakosaurus means "biter lizard", and is derived from the Greek dakos ("biter") and σαῦρος -sauros ("lizard").

<i>Machimosaurus</i> Genus of reptiles

Machimosaurus is an extinct genus of machimosaurid crocodyliform from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. The type species, Machimosaurus hugii, was found in Switzerland. Other fossils have been found in England, France, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland and Tunisia. Machimosaurus rex is the largest named teleosauroid and thalattosuchian, with an estimated length of approximately 7.2 metres. Machimosaurus is the largest known crocodyliform of the Jurassic.

<i>Allodaposuchus</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Allodaposuchus is an extinct genus of crocodyliforms that includes four species that lived in what is now southern Europe during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous. Although generally classified as a non-crocodylian crocodylomorph, it is sometimes placed as one of the earliest true crocodylians. Allodaposuchus is one of the most common Late Cretaceous crocodylomorphs from Europe, with fossils known from Romania, Spain, and France.

<i>Metriorhynchus</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Metriorhynchus is an extinct genus of marine crocodyliform that lived in the oceans during the Late Jurassic. The type species, M. brevirostris was named in 1829 as a species of Steneosaurus before being named as a separate genus by the German palaeontologist Christian von Meyer in 1832. The name Metriorhynchus means "Moderate snout", and is derived from the Greek Metrio- ("moderate") and -rhynchos ("snout").

Metriorhynchidae Extinct family of reptiles

Metriorhynchidae is an extinct family of specialized, aquatic metriorhynchoid crocodyliforms from the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous period of Europe, North America and South America. The name Metriorhynchidae was coined by the Austrian zoologist Leopold Fitzinger in 1843. The group contains two subfamilies, the Metriorhynchinae and the Geosaurinae. They represent the most marine adapted of all archosaurs.

<i>Geosaurus</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Geosaurus is an extinct genus of marine crocodyliform within the family Metriorhynchidae, that lived during the Late Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous. Geosaurus was a carnivore that spent much, if not all, its life out at sea. No Geosaurus eggs or nests have been discovered, so little is known of the reptile's lifecycle, unlike other large marine reptiles of the Mesozoic, such as plesiosaurs or ichthyosaurs which are known to give birth to live young out at sea. Where Geosaurus mated, whether on land or at sea, is currently unknown. The name Geosaurus means "Mother of Giants lizard", and is derived from the Greek Ge- and σαῦρος -sauros ("lizard"). The name Geosaurus was established by the French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1824.

<i>Notosuchus</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Notosuchus is an extinct genus of South American notosuchian crocodylomorph. It was terrestrial, living approximately 85 million years ago in the Coniacian or Santonian stages of the Late Cretaceous.

Cricosaurus is an extinct genus of marine crocodyliforms of the Late Jurassic. belonging to the family Metriorhynchidae. The genus was established by Johann Andreas Wagner in 1858 for three skulls from the Tithonian of Germany. The name Cricosaurus means "Ring lizard", and is derived from the Greek Cricos- ("ring") and σαῦρος -sauros ("lizard").

<i>Alligatorium</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Alligatorium is an extinct genus of atoposaurid crocodylomorph from Late Jurassic marine deposits in France.

Atoposauridae Extinct family of reptiles

Atoposauridae is a family of crocodile-line archosaurs belonging to Neosuchia. The majority of the family are known from Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous marine deposits in France, Portugal, and Bavaria in southern Germany. The discovery of the genus Aprosuchus, however, extends the duration of the lineage to the end of the Cretaceous in Romania.

Hoplosuchus is a genus of crocodylomorph belonging to Protosuchidae. It is so far only known definitely from one specimen, a skeleton collected from sandstone of the Upper Jurassic-age Morrison Formation rocks at Dinosaur National Monument, Utah, during road construction. The individual was small, approximately 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long, although it may have been very young. It is the basalmost crocodyliform of the Morrison Formation, as suggested by such attributes as still having antorbital fenestrae in the skull. The limbs were relatively long, suggesting that the animal was terrestrial. Two rows of bony scutes ran down the back. The crowns of the teeth are not well preserved, so the diet cannot be determined with certainty. Given its small size, it probably ate insects and small vertebrates; it may have been carnivorous or omnivorous.

<i>Atoposaurus</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Atoposaurus is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph. It is the type genus of the family Atoposauridae. Fossils have been found that were Late Jurassic in age from two distinct species in France and Germany.

Hylaeochampsidae is an extinct family of basal eusuchian crocodylomorphs thought to be closely related to the order Crocodylia. It was first constructed by Charles William Andrews in 1913 to include just one member: Hylaeochampsa. However, a new genus named Iharkutosuchus was described in 2007 and was found to be a sister taxon of Hylaeochampsa, and thus a member of the family Hylaeochampsidae. The genus Heterosuchus, named in 1887, may also be a member of the family. However, it is likely to be synonymous with Hylaeochampsa and has been considered a nomen dubium by James M. Clark and Mark Norell. Clark and Norell also claimed that there is no evidence to suggest that the two genera form a true clade distinct from other eusuchians, because remains associated with Heterosuchus are to fragmentary to show any clear phylogenetic relationship. A fourth genus called Pietraroiasuchus was assigned to Hylaeochampsidae in 2011. A phylogenetic analysis conducted with the description of Pietraroiasuchus also found Pachycheilosuchus to be part of the family.

Listrognathosuchus is an extinct genus of alligatoroid crocodilian. Fossils date back to the middle Paleocene epoch. In 1997, the generic name replaced that of Leidyosuchus for the species L. multidentatus. "L." multidentalis was first described by Charles Mook in 1930 on the basis of the holotype AMNH 5179, consisting of a partial vertebral column, mandible, partial left ilium, and left tibia, found from a locality in Torrejon Arroyo, New Mexico.

La Pedrera de Rúbies Formation

The La Pedrera de Rúbies Formation is an Early Cretaceous (late Berriasian to early Barremian geologic formation in Catalonia, Spain. The formation crops out in the area of the Montsec in the Organyà Basin. At the La Pedrera de Meià locality, the formation consists of rhythmically laminated, lithographic limestones that formed in the distal areas of a large, shallow coastal lake. It is noted for the exceptional preservation of articulated small vertebrates and insects, similar to that of the Solnhofen Limestone.

<i>Theriosuchus</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Theriosuchus is an extinct genus of atoposaurid neosuchian from Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous of Europe, Southeast Asia (Thailand) and western North America (Wyoming), with fragmentary records from Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous sites in China, Morocco, and Scotland.

Shantungosuchus is an extinct genus of Early Cretaceous crocodyliform found in China. It includes three species: Shantungosuchus chuhsienensis and S. brachycephalus, which were both described by Yang Zhongjian – usually referred to as "Young" – in 1961 and 1982, and S. hangjinensis, which was described by Xiao-Chun Wu et al in 1994. S. chuhsienensis is the type for this genus.

Sabresuchus is an extinct genus of neosuchian crocodyliform from the Cretaceous of Europe. The name is derived from 'Sabre' in reference to the enlarged and curved fifth maxillary tooth, and 'suchus' from the Ancient Greek for crocodile.

<i>Knoetschkesuchus</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Knoetschkesuchus is a genus of small atoposaurid crocodylomorph from the Late Jurassic of Germany and Portugal. Two species are known: the German species K. langenbergensis, described by Schwarz and colleagues in 2017 based on two partial skeletons and various isolated bones; and the Portuguese species K. guimarotae, named from over 400 specimens including several partial skeletons. Knoetschkesuchus was a small and short-snouted crocodilian, measuring about 55 centimetres (22 in) in length, that primarily fed on small prey, including invertebrates, amphibians, and mammals. This specialization towards small prey ecologically separated Knoetschkesuchus from most of the other diverse crocodilians that it lived with in the island ecosystem of Jurassic Europe.

Aprosuchus is a genus of small-bodied Maastrichtian atoposaurid Eusuchian from the Hateg Basin, Romania.

References

  1. Vidal, L. M. (1915). "Nota geológica y paleontológica sobre el Jurásico superior de la provincia de Lérida". Boletín del Instituto Geológico de España. 16: 17–55.
  2. Peybernes, B.; Oertli, H. (1972). "La série de passage du jurassique au Crétacé dans le Bassin sud-pyrénén (Espagne)". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences de Paris. 274: 3348–3351.
  3. Broili, F. (1932). "Der obere Jura von Montsech (Provinz Lérida) im Vergleich mit den Ob. Jura-Vorkommen von Cerin (Dept. Ain) und von Franken". Geologica Méditerranea Occidentalis. 2: 3–11.
  4. Steel, R. (1973). "Crocodylia". In O. Kuhn (ed.). Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie. Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer Verlag. pp. 116 pp.
  5. Wellnhofer, P. (1973). "Die Atoposauridae (Crocodylia, Mesosuchia) der oberjura-Plattenkalke Bayernes". Palaeontographica A. 138: 113–165.
  6. Buffetaut, E. (1982). "Radiation évolutive, paléoécologie et biogéographie des Crocodiliens mésosuchiens". Mémoires, Société Géologique de France. 60: 1–88.
  7. "Montsecosuchus depereti". Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  8. Buscalioni, A. D.; Sans, J. L. (1990). "Montsecosuchus depereti (Crocodylomorpha, Atoposauridae), new denomination for Alligatorium depereti Vidal, 1915 (Early Cretaceous, Spain): Redescription and phylogenetic relationships". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 10 (2): 244–254. doi:10.1080/02724634.1990.10011810.