Neustosaurus
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| Neustosaurus Fossil range: Early Cretaceous |
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Neustosaurus is a genus of marine crocodylian from the Early Cretaceous. Neustosaurus was a carnivore that spent much, if not all, its life out at sea. No Neustosaurus eggs or nest 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 Neustosaurus mated, whether on land or at sea, is currently unknown.
[edit] History of discovery
There is only a single described species within Neustosaurus, the type species N. gigondarum. The holotype material is consists of only the posterior of trunk and the tail, discovered in France. However, identifying metriorhynchid genera from post-cranials is not easy, as such until diagnostic material is discovered Neustosaurus is considered nomen dubium. Neustosaurus has been considered a junior synonym of either Dakosaurus and Geosaurus over the past 100 years.
[edit] Closely related species
Other genera included in this family are: Metriorhynchus, Teleidosaurus, Geosaurus, Dakosaurus and Enaliosuchus. The other genus within Metiorhynchidae considered nomen dubium is Aggiosaurus.
