Trematochampsidae

Holozoa

Trematochampsidae
Temporal range: 130–65.5 Ma
Early to Late Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Crocodylomorpha
clade: Metasuchia
Suborder: †Notosuchia
Family: †Trematochampsidae
Buffetaut, 1974
Genera

Trematochampsidae is an extinct family of mesoeucrocodylian crocodylomorph. Fossils are present from Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Argentina, and Brazil (in the case of Caririsuchus, where some specimens have been found in the Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation[2]). Possible trematochampsids have been found from Spain and France, but classification past the family level is indeterminant. The trematochampsids first appeared during the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous and went extinct during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous.

Contents

Description

Trematochampsids are deep-snouted and have a ziphodont tooth structure.[3] The dentition differs from most other crocodilians in that the teeth are recurved, serrated, and lateromedially compressed. This may be an adaptation to a terrestrial or at least semiterrestrial lifestyle as such teeth would be better suited for cutting and tearing into prey as opposed to capturing them and holding them underwater. Despite this, most trematochampsids are presumed to have been aquatic.[4]

Taxonomy

There has been much controversy surrounding the family's phylogeny, and the group's monophyly has been questioned.[5] Relations between taxa within the family are also poorly understood. Many crocodylomorphs such as Mahajangasuchus, Bergisuchus, Iberosuchus, and Itasuchus had originally been assigned to Trematochapsidae but have since been assigned to the family Sebecidae or put into their own families. Neogene sebecosuchians of Europe have been reclassified as trematochampsids but have recently been supported as true sebecosuchians as was originally proposed.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ Erin L. Rasmusson Simons and Gregory A. Buckley (2009). "New Material of "Trematochampsa" Oblita (Crocodyliformes,Trematochampsidae) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29 (2): 599–604. doi:10.1671/039.029.0224. 
  2. ^ Kellner, A.W.A. and Campos, D. A. (1999). Vertebrate Paleontology in Brazil - a review. Episodes, vol. 22, p. 238-251.
  3. ^ Buckley, G. A., and Brochu, C. A. (1999). An enigmatic new crocodile from the Upper Cretaceous of Madagascar. In Unwin, D. (ed.), Cretaceous Fossil Vertebrates: Special Papers in Palaeontology No. 60, The Palaeontological Association (London), p. 149-175.
  4. ^ Rogers, Raymond R.; Krause, David W.; Curry Rogers, Kristina; Rasoamiaramanana, Armand H.; & Rahantarisoa, Lydia. (2007). Paleoenvironment and Paleoecology of Majungasaurus crenatissimus (Theropoda: Abelisauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27(sp8): 21-31.
  5. ^ Gasparini, Z., Chiappe, L. M. and Fernandez, M (1991).A New Senonian Peirosaurid (Crocodylomorpha) from Argentina and a Synopsis of the South American Cretaceous crocodilians. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 11(3): 316-333.
  6. ^ Buckley, G. A., and Brochu, C. A. (1999). An enigmatic new crocodile from the Upper Cretaceous of Madagascar. In Unwin, D. (ed.), Cretaceous Fossil Vertebrates: Special Papers in Palaeontology No. 60, The Palaeontological Association (London), p. 149-175.
  7. ^ Turner, A. H. and Calvo, J. O. (2005). A new sebecosuchian crocodyliform from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(1): 87–98.

External links