Parasuchus

Parasuchus is an extinctgenus of basalphytosaur known from the Late Triassic (late Carnian to early Norian stage) of Telangana and Madhya Pradesh, India. At its most restricted definition, Parasuchus contains a single species, Parasuchus hislopi. Parasuchus hislopi is one of several species belonging to a basal grade of phytosaurs, typified by the genus Paleorhinus. Historically, Paleorhinus has been known from better-described fossils, and many species have been lumped into that genus. Parasuchus hislopi, despite being described earlier than Paleorhinus, was considered an undiagnostic chimera until new neotype fossils were described in the late 1970s. Parasuchus hislopi and the two unambiguously valid species of Paleorhinus (P. bransoni and P. angustifrons) are all closely related; some authors have historically described them all under the species Paleorhinus, while others place the two Paleorhinus species into Parasuchus according to the principle of priority. The bite force of Parasuchus hislopi is estimated to be 450 newtons at the anterior portion of the jaw, with 1,958 newtons at the posterior portion.