Gobiosuchidae

Gobiosuchidae Temporal range: Late Barremian - Early Campanian 129.4–71 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
A specimen of Gobiosuchus encased in armor
Scientific classification
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[]