Zosuchus

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Zosuchus
Fossil range: Late Cretaceous

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Infraclass: Archosauromorpha
Superorder: Crocodylomorpha
(unranked) Crocodyliformes
Genus: Zosuchus
Binomial name
Zosuchus davidsoni
Pol & Norell 2004

Zosuchus ("Zos [Canyon] crocodile") is a genus of basal, Late Cretaceous crocodyliform from the Redbeds of Zos Canyon (Djadokhta Formation) in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. It was discovered by expeditions organized by the American Museum of Natural History, and described by palaeontologists Diego Pol and Mark Norell.

The type species is Z. davidsoni, after Amy Davidson.

Contents

[edit] Material

Material of Z. davidsoni consists of five specimens:

  • IGM 100/1305 (holotype): isolated skull and lower jaws
  • IGM 100/1304
  • IGM 100/1306
  • IGM 100/1307
  • IGM 100/1308

[edit] Systematics

Pol & Norell (2004) found Zosuchus davidsoni to be the sister taxon of the clade (Sichuanosuchus + Shantungosuchus). These three form a basal clade of crocodyliforms joined together by the presence of a ventrally deflected posterior region of the mandibular rami.

[edit] Morphology

This genus had a very short snout.

[edit] References

  • Pol, D. & Norell, M. A., (2004). A new crocodyliform from Zos Canyon, Mongolia. American Museum Novitates 3445: 1-36.
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