| Allodaposuchus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous |
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|---|---|
| Allodaposuchus precedens | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | Crocodylomorpha |
| Order: | Crocodylia |
| Genus: | †Allodaposuchus Nopcsa, 1928 |
| Species | |
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Allodaposuchus is an extinct genus of eusuchian crocodylomorph and an early relative of crocodilians. It lived during the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) in Southern Europe (Spain, Romania, and France).
Fragmentary remains of Allodaposuchus precedens were found at Valioara, in the Hateg Basin in Romania.[1]
These fragments were originally identified as Crocodilus affuvelensis Matheron, 1869,[2] whose nests have been found in France. Both species were considered as synonymous; nevertheless, C. affuvelensis has been recently recognized as belonging to the genus Massaliasuchus.[3]
More recently (2006), a complete skull of A. precedens has been discovered in the Maastrichtian locality of Oarda de Jos in the southwestern Transylvanian Basin of Romania and shed new lights on the phylogeny of the genus.[4]
It probably grew to about 10 feet long in length, depending what type of environment it lived in.
Allodaposuchus is featured in the second episode of the Discovery Channel TV series Dinosaur Planet, where it was described by Christian Slater as "a long name for an animal short on brains, but totally fearless in battle".