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Gavialoidea
Gavialoidea is one of three superfamily (zoology), superfamilies of crocodylians, the other two being Alligatoroidea and Crocodyloidea. Although many extinct species are known, only the gharial ''Gavialis gangeticus'' and the false gharial ''Tomistoma schlegelii'' are alive today, with ''Hanyusuchus'' having become extinct in the last few centuries. Extinct South American gavialoids likely Dispersal (ecology), dispersed in the mid Tertiary period, Tertiary from Africa and Asia. Fossil remains of the Puerto Rican gavialoid ''Aktiogavialis puertorisensis'' were discovered in a cave located in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico and dated to the Oligocene. This individual is thought to have crossed the Atlantic coming from Africa, indicating that this species was able to withstand saltwater. Classification Gavialoidea is Cladistics, cladistically defined as ''Gavialis gangeticus'' (the gharial) and all crocodylians closer to it than to ''Alligator mississippiensis'' (the American alligator) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pseudogavialis
''Pseudogavialis'' is an extinct genus of gavialoid from the Oligocene to Miocene Laki Hills, Laki and Bugti Hills of Pakistan (probably the Chitarwata Formation, Chitarwata and Chinji Formations). ''Pseudogavialis'' was originally named by Richard Lydekker as ''"Gharialis" curvirostris'' in 1886, a misspelling of ''Gavialis'', the genus that contains today's Indian gharial. Eventually it was recognized that the material belonged to a distinct genus, which was named ''Pseudogavialis'' in 2025. Like the closely related modern Indian gharial, ''Pseudogavialis'' had long and slender jaws with numerous interlocking teeth. It might have reached a length of up to . History and naming Remains of fossil gavialoids have been known from Pakistan since around the late 19th century, with several being named as new species related to the modern gharial. Among these was ''"Gharialis" curvirostris'', which was discovered during the early 19th century (no later than 1846) and was described by Ric ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gavialidae
Gavialidae is a family of large semiaquatic crocodilians with elongated, narrow snouts. Gavialidae consists of two living species, the gharial (''Gavialis gangeticus'') and the false gharial (''Tomistoma schlegelii''), both occurring in Asia. Many extinct members are known from a broader range, including the recently extinct '' Hanyusuchus''. Gavialids are generally regarded as lacking the jaw strength to capture the large mammalian prey favoured by crocodiles and alligators of similar size so their thin snout is best used to catch fish, however the false gharial has been found to have a generalist diet with mature adults preying upon larger vertebrates, such as ungulates. Taxonomy The family Gavialidae was proposed by Arthur Adams in 1854 for reptiles with a very long and slender muzzle, webbed feet and nearly equal teeth. It is currently recognized as a crown group, meaning that it only includes the last common ancestor of all extant (living) gavialids (the gharial and false g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kentisuchus
''Kentisuchus'' is an extinct genus of gavialoid crocodylian, traditionally regarded as a member of the subfamily Tomistominae. Fossils have been found from England and France that date back to the early Eocene. The genus has also been recorded from Ukraine, but it unclear whether specimens from Ukraine are referable to ''Kentisuchus''. Species The genus ''Kentisuchus'' was erected by Charles Mook in 1955 for the species ''"Crocodylus" toliapicus'', described by Richard Owen, in 1849. William Buckland named ''"Crocodylus" spenceri'' on the basis of a partial skull found from the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England. In 1888 Richard Lydekker considered ''"C." toliapicus'' synonymous with ''"C." champsoides'' and ''"C." arduini'', named by De Zigno, and reapplied the name ''"C." spenceri'' to all of these species. The genus name ''Kentisuchus'' was constructed only after it was realized that these specimens were clearly distinct from the genus '' Crocodylus'' and that some specime ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paratomistoma
''Paratomistoma'' (meaning "next to or near ''Tomistoma''") is an extinct monospecific genus of gavialoid crocodylian. It is based on the holotype specimen CGM 42188, a partial posterior skull and lower jaw discovered at Wadi Hitan, Egypt, in Middle Eocene-age rocks of the Gehannam Formation. The skull is unfused but considered morphologically mature. ''Paratomistoma'' was named in 2000 by Christopher Brochu and Philip Gingerich; the type species is ''P. courti'' in honor of Nicholas Court, who found CGM 42188. They performed a phylogenetic analysis and found ''Paratomistoma'' to be a derived member of Tomistominae, related to the false gharial. It may have been a marine or coastal crocodilian. Below is a cladogram based morphological studies comparing skeletal features that shows ''Paratomistoma'' as a member of Tomistominae: Based on morphological studies of extinct taxa, the tomistomines were long thought to be classified as crocodiles and not closely re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maroccosuchus
''Maroccosuchus zennaroi'' is an extinct gavialoid crocodylian from the Early Eocene of Morocco, traditionally regarded as a member of the subfamily Tomistominae. Below is a cladogram based on morphological studies comparing skeletal features that shows ''Maroccosuchus'' as a member of Tomistominae, related to the false gharial: Based on morphological studies of extinct taxa, the tomistomines were long thought to be classified as crocodiles and not closely related to gavialoids. However, recent molecular studies using DNA sequencing have consistently indicated that the false gharial (''Tomistoma'') (and by inference other related extinct forms in Tomistominae) actually belong to Gavialoidea (and Gavialidae). Below is a cladogram from a 2018 tip dating study by Lee & Yates simultaneously using morphological, molecular (DNA sequencing), and stratigraphic (fossil age) data that shows ''Maroccosuchus'' as an early-diverging gavialoid, more basal than the last common ancestor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dollosuchoides
''Dollosuchoides'', colloquially known as the Crocodile of Maransart, is an extinct monospecific genus of gavialoid crocodilian, traditionally regarded as a member of the subfamily Tomistominae. Fossils have been found in the Brussels Formation of Maransart, Belgium and date back to the middle Eocene. The holotype, IRScNB 482, was discovered in 1915 and it was prepared during 1926–1927 by M. Hubert, J. Mehschaert and M. Jean de Kleermaeker, and also in 1927, Louis Dollo had the holotype put on display in the Museum of Natural Sciences and he intended to describe the specimen but he died in 1931 before he was able to describe it and the specimen was eventually referred to '' Dollosuchus'' by Swinton (1937)Swinton, W. E. (1937)The Crocodile of Maransart (Dollosuchus dixoni [Owen]).''Mémoire'' 80: 3–46 until it was moved to its own genus by Brochu (2007). It is currently housed in the Gand Museum in Belgium. Phylogeny Below is a cladogram based morphological stud ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crocodyloidea
Crocodyloidea is one of three superfamilies of crocodilians, the other two being Alligatoroidea and Gavialoidea, and it includes the crocodiles. Crocodyloidea may also include the extinct Mekosuchinae, native to Australasia from the Eocene to the Holocene, although this is disputed. Classification Cladistically, it is defined as ''Crocodylus niloticus'' (the Nile crocodile) and all crocodylians more closely related to ''C. niloticus'' than to either ''Alligator mississippiensis'' (the American alligator) or ''Gavialis gangeticus'' (the gharial). This is a stem-based definition for crocodiles, and is more inclusive than the crown group Crocodylidae. As a crown group, Crocodylidae only includes the last common ancestor of all extant (living) crocodiles and their descendants (living or extinct), whereas Crocodyloidea, as a stem group, also includes more basal extinct crocodile ancestors that are more closely related to living crocodiles than to alligators or gavialids. Whe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alligatoroidea
Alligatoroidea is one of three superfamilies of crocodylians, the other two being Crocodyloidea and Gavialoidea. Alligatoroidea evolved in the Late Cretaceous period, and consists of the alligators and caimans, as well as extinct members more closely related to the alligators than the two other groups. Evolution The superfamily Alligatoroidea is thought to have split from the crocodile-gharial lineage in the late Cretaceous, about 80 million years ago, but possibly as early as 100 million years ago based on molecular phylogenetics. '' Leidyosuchus'' of Alberta is the earliest known genus. Although, a 2025 study considers it and Deinosuchus to be non-crocodylian eusuchians closely related to crocodylians. Fossil alligatoroids have been found throughout Eurasia as land bridges across both the North Atlantic and the Bering Strait have connected North America to Eurasia during the Cretaceous, Paleogene, and Neogene periods. Alligators and caimans split in North America dur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ocepesuchus
''Ocepesuchus'' (meaning "Ocepe crocodile", in reference to the OCP, or Office Chérifien des Phosphates, a phosphate-mining company that participated in the excavation of the specimen) is an extinct genus of gavialoid crocodilian, related to modern gharials. ''Ocepesuchus'' is the oldest known crocodilian of Africa, and is known only from a single species, ''O. eoafricanus''. It lived in Morocco during the late Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous. Discovery and naming Described by Jouve and colleagues in 2008, the type species is ''O. eoafricanus'', with the specific name meaning "dawn African" in reference to its great age relative to other African crocodilians. ''Ocepesuchus'' had a long snout with a tubular shape, wider than high. It is the oldest known true crocodilian from Africa. The holotype of ''Ocepesuchus'' is OCP DEK-GE 45, a crushed but mostly complete skull, missing the end of the snout and part of its bottom surface, from late Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous)- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
False Gharial
The false gharial (''Tomistoma schlegelii''), also known by the names Malayan gharial, Sunda gharial and tomistoma is a freshwater crocodilian of the Family (biology), family Gavialidae native to Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra and Java. It is listed as Endangered species, Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as the global population is estimated at around 2,500 to 10,000 mature individuals. The Specific name (zoology), species name ''schlegelii'' honors Hermann Schlegel. Characteristics The false gharial is dark reddish-brown above with dark brown or black spots and cross-bands on the back and tail. Ventrals are grayish-white, with some lateral dark mottling. Juveniles are mottled with black on the sides of the jaws, body, and tail. The smooth and unornamented snout is extremely long and slender, parallel sided, with a length of 3.0 to 3.5 times the width at the base. All teeth are long and needle-like, interlocking on the insides of the jaws, and are individually socketed. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crocodylia
Crocodilia () is an Order (biology), order of semiaquatic, predatory reptiles that are known as crocodilians. They first appeared during the Late Cretaceous and are the closest living relatives of birds. Crocodilians are a type of crocodylomorph pseudosuchian, a subset of archosaurs that appeared about 235 million years ago and were the only survivors of the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event. While other crocodylomorph groups further survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, notably sebecosuchians, only the crocodilians have survived into the Quaternary. The order includes the crocodile, true crocodiles (Family (biology), family Crocodylidae), the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae), and the gharial and false gharial (family Gavialidae). Although the term "crocodiles" is sometimes used to refer to all of these families, the term "crocodilians" is less ambiguous. Extant crocodilians have flat heads with long snouts and tails that are compressed on the si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crocodylian
Crocodilia () is an order of semiaquatic, predatory reptiles that are known as crocodilians. They first appeared during the Late Cretaceous and are the closest living relatives of birds. Crocodilians are a type of crocodylomorph pseudosuchian, a subset of archosaurs that appeared about 235 million years ago and were the only survivors of the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event. While other crocodylomorph groups further survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, notably sebecosuchians, only the crocodilians have survived into the Quaternary. The order includes the true crocodiles (family Crocodylidae), the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae), and the gharial and false gharial (family Gavialidae). Although the term "crocodiles" is sometimes used to refer to all of these families, the term "crocodilians" is less ambiguous. Extant crocodilians have flat heads with long snouts and tails that are compressed on the sides, with their eyes, ears, and nostril ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
