Tyrannoneustes

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Tyrannoneustes
Temporal range: Callovian
Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos.png
Skull
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Clade: Crocodylomorpha
Suborder:† Thalattosuchia
Family:† Metriorhynchidae
Subfamily:† Geosaurinae
Genus:† Tyrannoneustes
Young et al., 2013
Type species
†Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos
Young et al., 2013

Tyrannoneustes is an extinct genus of geosaurine metriorhynchid crocodyliform from the Callovian stage Oxford Clay Formation of England and the Marnes de Dives of France. It contains a single species, Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos, meaning "blood-biting tyrant swimmer". [1] [2] [3]

Contents

History and description

Restoration Tyrannoneustes.png
Restoration

The genus was rediscovered after a century of storage in a museum basement after being unearthed by fossil hunter Alfred Nicholson Leeds between the years of 1907 and 1909. Its lower jaw measured about 26 inches long and its teeth were blade-like, likely built to attack prey as large or larger than itself, similar to the Late Jurassic Dakosaurus , Torvoneustes , and Plesiosuchus . [3] The holotype specimen was estimated to be more than 3.27 m (10.7 ft) in total body length by Young and his colleagues. [2] Two other specimens (PETMG:R176 and NHMUK PV R3939) belonged to much larger individuals, measuring 4.65 m (15.3 ft) and 5.04 m (16.5 ft) in total body length, respectively. [4]

Classification

Tyrannoneustes is a member of the metriorhynchid subfamily called Geosaurinae and the derived tribe Geosaurini. Members were generally large marine predators, adapted to open-ocean life with streamlined bodies, powerful tails, and long, robust jaws lined with sharp teeth.

The cladogram below is from an analysis by Léa Girard and colleagues in their description of Torvoneustes jurensis . [5]

Geosaurinae

"Metriorhynchus" casamiquelai

"Metriorhynchus" westermanii

References

  1. ↑ Waskow, K., Grzegorczyk, D. & Sander, P.M. The first record of Tyrannoneustes (Thalattosuchia: Metriorhynchidae): a complete skull from the Callovian (late Middle Jurassic) of Germany. PalZ 92, 457–480 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-017-0395-z
  2. 1 2 Young, M. T.; De Andrade, M. B.; Brusatte, S. L.; Sakamoto, M.; Liston, J. (2013). "The oldest known metriorhynchid super-predator: A new genus and species from the Middle Jurassic of England, with implications for serration and mandibular evolution in predacious clades". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 11 (4): 475–513. doi:10.1080/14772019.2012.704948. S2CID   85276836.
  3. 1 2 Charles Choi (30 January 2013). "Ancient 'super-croc' fossil discovered in museum drawer: And they didn't call enormous Tyrannoneustes 'blood-biting tyrant swimmer' for nothing". Archived from the original on 31 January 2013.
  4. ↑ Foffa, D.; Young, M.T. (2014). "The cranial osteology of Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos (Crocodylomorpha: Metriorhynchidae) from the Middle Jurassic of Europe". PeerJ. 2. e608. doi: 10.7717/peerj.608 . PMC   4185291 . PMID   25289192.
  5. ↑ Girard, L. C.; De Sousa Oliveira, S.; Raselli, I.; Martin, J. E.; Anquetin, J. (2023). "Description and phylogenetic relationships of a new species of Torvoneustes (Crocodylomorpha, Thalattosuchia) from the Kimmeridgian of Switzerland". PeerJ. 11. e15512. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15512 . PMC   10362849 .
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