Wannchampsidae

Wannchampsids Temporal range: Cretaceous (Aptian–Cenomanian) PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skulls of Wannchampsus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Archosauria
Clade:	Pseudosuchia
Clade:	Crocodylomorpha
Clade:	Metasuchia
Clade:	Neosuchia
Family:	† Wannchampsidae Allen et al., 2025
Type genus
† Wannchampsus Adams, 2014
Genera
† Thikarisuchus † Wannchampsus

Wannchampsidae is an extinct family of neosuchian crocodyliforms known from the mid-Cretaceous of the United States. The family includes the genera Thikarisuchus (Blackleaf Formation, Montana), and Wannchampsus Twin Mountains Formation, Texas), as well as the unnamed 'Glen Rose form' (Antlers Formation, Texas, and Cloverly Formation, Montana). ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Classification

In their phylogenetic analysis, Allen et al. (2025) recovered Thikarisuchus as a member of an unresolved clade also including Wannchampsus and an unnamed specimen nicknamed the 'Glen Rose form' (USNM 22039). The authors named this clade Wannchampsidae. This group is the sister taxon to Atoposauridae, which is in turn the sister to Paralligatoridae. These results are displayed in the cladogram below: ^[1]

Neosuchia	Other † neosuchians † Hylaeochampsidae Crocodylia † Bernissartia † Paralligatoridae † Atoposauridae †Wannchampsidae † Thikarisuchus † Wannchampsus †'Glen Rose form' (USNM 22039)

References

1. Allen, Harrison J.; Wilberg, Eric W.; Turner, Alan H.; Varricchio, David J. "A new, diminutive, heterodont neosuchian from the Vaughn Member of the Blackleaf Formation (Cenomanian), southwest Montana, and implications for the paleoecology of heterodont neosuchians". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . e2542185. doi:10.1080/02724634.2025.2542185. ISSN   0272-4634.
2. Thomas L. Adams (2014). "Small crocodyliform from the Lower Cretaceous (late Aptian) of central Texas and its systematic relationship to the evolution of Eusuchia". Journal of Paleontology. 88 (5): 1031–1049. doi:10.1666/12-089. S2CID   84776430.
3. Thomas L. Adams (2014). "Small crocodyliform from the Lower Cretaceous (late Aptian) of central Texas and its systematic relationship to the evolution of Eusuchia". Journal of Paleontology. 88 (5): 1031–1049. doi:10.1666/12-089. S2CID   84776430.