Gobiosuchidae

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Gobiosuchidae
Temporal range: Late Barremian - Early Campanian 129.4–71 Ma
Gobiosuchus.jpg
A specimen of Gobiosuchus encased in armor
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Crocodyliformes
Family: Gobiosuchidae
Osmólska, 1972

Gobiosuchidae is a family of Cretaceous crocodyliforms known from Mongolia and Spain.

Genera[]

Three genera are currently classified within Gobiosuchidae: Cassissuchus, Gobiosuchus, and Zaraasuchus.[1]

Synapomorphies[]

According to Pol & Norell (2004), gobiosuchids form a clade united by the following synapomorphies:

  • Parietal without broad occipital portion
  • Absence of external mandibular fenestra
  • More than two parallel rows of dorsal osteoderms
  • Cranial table as wide as ventral portion of skull
  • Palpebrals sutured to each other and the frontal, excluding it from the orbital margin
  • External surface of ascending process of jugal exposed posterolaterally
  • Longitudinal ridge on lateral surface of jugal below infratemporal fenestra
  • Dorsal surface of posterolateral process of squamosal ornamented with three longitudinal ridges
  • Presence of a sharp ridge along ventral surface of angular
  • Surangular with a longitudinal ridge on its dorsolateral surface
  • Dorsal surface of osteoderms ornamented with anterolaterally and anteromedially directed ridges
  • Cervical region surrounded by lateral and ventral osteoderms sutured to the dorsal elements
  • Presence of appendicular osteoderms
  • Closed, or incipiently close, supratemporal fenestra

Sources[]

  • Pol, D. & Norell, M. A., (2004). "A new gobiosuchid crocodyliform taxon from the Cretaceous of Mongolia". American Museum Novitates 3458: 1-31.

References[]

  1. ^ Ángela D. Buscalioni (2017) The Gobiosuchidae in the early evolution of Crocodyliformes. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Article: e1324459 doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2017.1324459 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2017.1324459
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