Chenanisuchus
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 Chenanisuchus lateroculi
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| Chenanisuchus lateroculi Jouve et al. 2005 |
Chenanisuchus ("Chenane crocodile") was a dyrosaurid crocodylian from the Late Palaeocene of Sidi Chenane in Morocco. It was described in 2005, after expeditions uncovered it in 2000.
The type species is C. lateroculi ("lateralis", lateral; "oculi", eyes), in reference to the laterally facing eyes.
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[edit] Material
Two specimens of C. lateroculi have been found:
- OCP DEK-GE 262 (holotype): nearly complete skull with mandibular fragments
- OCP DEK-GE 61: nearly complete skull
The fossils come from the Sidi Chenane area in Morocco, making C. lateroculi Late Palaeocene (Thanetian) in age.
[edit] Systematics
Chenanisuchus lateroculi is referred to Dyrosauridae by Jouve et al. (2005), based on three morphological characters:
- Presence of occipital tuberosities
- Presence of an anterolateral postorbital process
- Large participation of the quadratojugal and surangular to the jaw joint
[edit] Palaeobiology
Chenanisuchus lateroculi has an estimated adult length between 4 and 4.5 meters, based on the 60 centimeter long skull. It has the shortest snout relative to the dorsal skull length among all dyrosaurids.
[edit] References
- Jouve, S., Bouya, B. & Amaghzaz, M., (2005). A short-snouted dyrosaurid (Crocodyliformes, Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Palaeocene of Marocco. Palaeontology 48 (2): 359-369.
