2013 In Archosaur Paleontology
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2013 In Archosaur Paleontology
The year 2013 in Archosaur paleontology was eventful. Archosaurs include the only living dinosaur group — birds — and the reptile crocodilians, plus all extinct dinosaurs, extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosaur palaeontology is the scientific study of those animals, especially as they existed before the Holocene Epoch began about 11,700 years ago. The year 2013 in paleontology included various significant developments regarding archosaurs. This article records new taxa of fossil archosaurs of every kind that have been described during the year 2013, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of archosaurs that occurred in the year 2013. Pseudosuchians Research * Mesoeucrocodylian fossils, which might be the first recorded Cenozoic fossils of atoposaurids, are described from the Eocene Kaninah Formation of Yemen by Stevens ''et al.'' (2013). New taxa Newly named basal dinosauromorphs Non-avian dinosaurs Research * ...
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Archosaurs
Archosauria () is a clade of diapsids, with birds and crocodilians as the only living representatives. Archosaurs are broadly classified as reptiles, in the cladistic sense of the term which includes birds. Extinct archosaurs include non-avian dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and extinct relatives of crocodilians. Modern paleontologists define Archosauria as a crown group that includes the most recent common ancestor of living birds and crocodilians, and all of its descendants. The base of Archosauria splits into two clades: Pseudosuchia, which includes crocodilians and their extinct relatives, and Avemetatarsalia, which includes birds and their extinct relatives (such as non-avian dinosaurs and pterosaurs). Older definitions of the group Archosauria rely on shared morphological characteristics, such as an antorbital fenestra in the skull, serrated teeth, and an upright stance. Some extinct reptiles, such as proterosuchids and euparkeriids, possessed these features yet originate ...
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Agaresuchus
''Agaresuchus'' is an extinct genus of allodaposuchid eusuchian crocodylomorph from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) of Spain. It includes two species, the type species ''Agaresuchus fontisensis'', and ''Agaresuchus subjuniperus'', which was originally named as a species of the related genus ''Allodaposuchus''. However, it has been proposed that both species may instead belong to the genus ''Allodaposuchus''. Discovery and naming The genus ''Agaresuchus'' was named in 2016 upon the discovery of '' Agaresuchus fontisensis''. ''Allodaposuchus subjuniperus'', discovered in 2013 and originally classified as a new and second species of ''Allodaposuchus'', was then reassigned to ''Agaresuchus''. ''A. subjuniperus'' was named in 2013 on the basis of a skull from the late Maastrichtian-aged Conquès Formation, part of the Tremp Group, in the province of Huesca, Spain. The skull was found underneath a juniper tree whose roots had grown between the bones, hence the species n ...
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Apatosuchus
''Apatosuchus'' is an extinct genus of non-crocodylomorph loricatan pseudosuchian known from the Late Triassic of Germany. It is known from a partial holotype skull from the middle Stubensandstein (a deposit that dates back to the Norian stage and is part of the Löwenstein Formation) in Baden-Württemberg. The type species is ''Halticosaurus orbitoangulatus.'' ''A. orbitoangulatus'' was first described by German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1932,Huene, F. von. (1932). ''Die fossile Reptil-Ordnung Saurischia, ihre Entwicklung und Geschichte. Monogr. Geol. Pal.'' 4 (1) pts. 1 and 2, viii + 361 pp. who considered it a species of the theropod dinosaur '' Halticosaurus''. Some later studies proposed that it was an early crocodylomorph or "sphenosuchian" like ''Saltoposuchus'', another pseudosuchian from the middle Stubensandstein of Baden-Württemberg. The name ''Apatosuchus'', "deceptive crocodile", was erected for ''H. orbitoangulatus'' by Hans-Dieter Sues and Rainer R ...
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Goniopholididae
Goniopholididae is an extinct family of moderate-sized semi-aquatic neosuchian crocodyliformes. Their bodyplan and morphology are convergent on living crocodilians. They lived across Laurasia (Asia, Europe and North America) between the Middle Jurassic (possibly Early Jurassic, see below) and the Late Cretaceous. Description Compared to modern crocodilians, goniopholidids are very unusual in several respects. They possessed two rows of rectangular, interlocking osteoderms like those of terrestrial crocodilymorphs like atoposaurids, that are relatively simple, do not extend far in their necks, as opposed to the ornate armours of modern crocodilians; likewise, unlike modern crocodilians but like many extinct forms like phytosaurs, they have ventral osteoderms as well. Their forelimbs are also proportionally very long, particularly in the humeri and wrist bones, being as long or longer than the hindlimbs, the opposite of the condition seen in modern crocodilians. Some like ''Anteoph ...
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Escucha Formation
The Escucha Formation is a geological formation in La Rioja and Teruel provinces of northeastern Spain whose strata date back to the late Aptian to middle Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.Weishampel, et al., 2004 The approximately thick formation underlies the Utrillas Formation and overlies Castrillo de la Reina, Benassal & Oliete Formations. The Escucha Formation comprises siltstones, mudstones, sandstones, coal, siltstones and amber, in which several fossil insects were found. The formation was deposited in a variety of continental to paralic (deltaic) environments.Peyrot et al., 2007 Fossil content The Escucha Formation has provided the following fossils, among others:
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Anteophthalmosuchus
''Anteophthalmosuchus'' (meaning "forward-pointing eye crocodile") is an extinct genus of goniopholidid mesoeucrocodylian from the Early Cretaceous of southern England, eastern Spain, and western Belgium. Discovery The holotype specimen of ''Anteophthalmosuchus'', from the Wealden Group of the Isle of Wight, includes a well-preserved skull and partial skeleton. This specimen has been known since 1904 and was identified as the "Tie Pits specimen" or the "Hooley specimen" after Reginald Walter Hooley, an amateur paleontologist who had described it in 1905. Hooley had originally attributed the specimen to the previously named species '' Goniopholis crassidens''. Additional referred specimens include a partial disarticulated skeleton and a partial skull that may represent a juvenile specimen. In 2011, Hooley's specimen was redescribed as a distinct genus and species of goniopholidid called ''Anteophthalmosuchus hooleyi''. The genus name means "forward-pointing eye crocodile" becaus ...
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Crocodyliformes
Crocodyliformes is a clade of crurotarsan archosaurs, the group often traditionally referred to as "crocodilians". They are the first members of Crocodylomorpha to possess many of the features that define later relatives. They are the only pseudosuchians to survive the K-Pg extinction event. In 1988, Michael J. Benton and James M. Clark argued that all traditional names for well-known groups of animals should be restricted to their crown clades, that is, used only for natural groups comprising all living members of any given lineage. This posed a problem for the crocodilians, because the name Crocodylia, while used in various ways by various scientists, had always included not only living crocodilians but many of their extinct ancestors known only from the fossil record.Benton, M.J. and Clark, J.M. (1988). "Archosaur phylogeny and the relationships of the Crocodylia." Pp. 295–338 in Benton, M.J. (ed.), ''The phylogeny and classification of the Tetrapods, volume 1''. Oxford: Cl ...
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Cañadón Asfalto Formation
The Cañadón Asfalto Formation is a Lower Jurassic to Late Jurassic geologic formation, from the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic Era. Its age is controversial, uranium-lead dating of the volcanic tuff beds having given various different ages. A Recent work suggested that the base of the formation was formed around 171 Ma, during the upper Aalenian, while the main age for the Lower Las Chacritas Member being around 168 Ma, during the Bajocian, Bathonian and Callovian While the overlying Puesto Almada Member seems to be around 158 ma, or Oxfordian age, that changed thanks to the discovery of zircons near the location of discovery of '' Bagualia'', allowing a precise age of Las Charcitas Member as Middle-Late Toarcian, 178-179 million years, and a later study constrained the age of the formation as Middle Toarcian-Lower Bajocian, being contemporaneous to the Chon Aike volcanic activity, being a local equivalent to Antarctica's Mawson Formation. It is located in the Cañadón Asfa ...
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Cañadón Calcáreo Formation
The Cañadón Calcáreo Formation is an Oxfordian to Kimmeridgian-aged geologic formation, from the Cañadón Asfalto Basin in Chubut Province, Argentina, a rift basin that started forming since the earliest Jurassic.Figari et al., 2015, p.142 It was formerly thought to date into the Cretaceous, but the age has been revised with Uranium Lead dating as likely being solely Late Jurassic in age. It is a subunit of the Sierra de Olte Group, close to the city Cerro Condor in the Chubut Province of northwestern Patagonia, in southern Argentina. The formation is composed primarily of fluvial sandstones alongside shales and volcanic tuffites The formation preserves fishes, crocodylomorphs and some dinosaur taxa, as well as conifers. Geology The Cañadón Calcáreo Formation is composed mainly of fluvial deposits, that are found close to the Cañadón Asfalto Formation. While originally thought to be part of the Cañadón Asfalto, there is a lack of calcareous rocks, and the geologi ...
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Almadasuchus
''Almadasuchus'' is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph known from the early Middle Jurassic (early Bajocian stage) Puesto Almada Member of the Cañadón Asfalto Formation of Patagonia, Argentina. It contains a single species, ''Almadasuchus figarii''. It is known from the holotype MPEF-PV 3838, a well-preserved posterior region of the skull as well as other skull and postcranial remains. Description According to a phylogenetic analysis that accompanied the first description of the species, ''A. figarii'' is the sister taxon or closest relative of the clade Crocodyliformes, a large group that originated in the Late Triassic and includes modern crocodilians. It is also a close relative of "sphenosuchians", a paraphyletic group of more basal non-crocodyliform crocodylomorphs. ''Almadasuchus'' is most closely related to the "sphenosuchian" ''Junggarsuchus'' from the Middle Jurassic of China. ''Almadasuchus'' is one of only four non-crocodyliform crocodylomorphs known from af ...
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Allodaposuchus
''Allodaposuchus'' is an extinct genus of crocodyliforms that lived in what is now southern Europe during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous. Although generally classified as a non-crocodylian eusuchian crocodylomorph, it is sometimes placed as one of the earliest true crocodylians. ''Allodaposuchus'' is one of the most common Late Cretaceous crocodylomorphs from Europe, with fossils known from Romania, Spain, and France. Description Like many other Cretaceous crocodylomorphs, ''Allodaposuchus'' has a relatively small body size compared to living crocodylians. The largest known specimen of ''Allodaposuchus'' belongs to an individual that was probably around long. Although the shape varies between species, in general ''Allodaposuchus'' has a short, flattened, and rounded skull. ''Allodaposuchus precedens'' has a brevirostrine or "short-snouted" skull with a snout about the same length as the skull table (the region of the skull behind the eye sockets) a ...
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Allodaposuchidae
Allodaposuchidae is an extinct clade of eusuchians that lived in Europe during the Late Cretaceous (Santonian-Maastrichtian). Systematics The type genus, ''Allodaposuchus'', was originally described in 1928 by Nopcsa from the Maastrichtian-age Sard Formation of the Hațeg Basin in Transylvania, Romania, and classified as a relative of the North American ''Leidyosuchus''. It was later classified as a eusuchian outside of Crocodylia in a 2001 paper, and subsequent studies found a number of European eusuchian species ('' Arenysuchus'', '' Ischyrochampsa'', '' Massaliasuchus'', ''Musturzabalsuchus'') to group with ''Allodaposuchus'', prompting the erection of the clade Allodaposuchidae to accommodate ''Allodaposuchus'' and all European eusuchians closely related to it. Narváez ''et al.'' cladistically defined Allodaposuchidae in 2015 as '' Allodaposuchus precedens'' and all crocodyliforms more closely related to it than to ''Hylaeochampsa vectiana'', '' Shamosuchus djadochtaensis' ...
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