''Candidodon'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of notosuchian

mesoeucrocodylia Mesoeucrocodylia is the clade that includes Eusuchia and crocodyliforms formerly placed in the paraphyletic group Mesosuchia. The group appeared during the Early Jurassic, and continues to the present day. Diagnosis It was long known that M ...

Fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s have been found in the

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma. Geology Pro ...

Itapecuru Formation The Itapecuru Formation is a geological formation in Itapecuru Mirim, Maranhão, Brazil. It was formed during the Aptian to Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.W ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Description

The genus is characterized by a particularly elongate pair of

choana The choanae (singular choana), posterior nasal apertures or internal nostrils are two openings found at the back of the nasal passage between the nasal cavity and the throat in tetrapods, including humans and other mammals (as well as crocodilia ...

e in its palate. It has been named the type genus of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Candidodontidae Candidodontidae is a family of notosuchian crocodyliforms. It was originally used in 2002 as a name for a clade that includes the genera ''Araripesuchus'', ''Candidodon'', and ''Malawisuchus''. Later in 2004 the family was formally defined as a n ...

, first constructed in 2004. It was initially assigned to the family with a proposed sister genus, ''

Mariliasuchus ''Mariliasuchus'' ("Marilia crocodile") is an extinct genus of Late Cretaceous notosuchian mesoeucrocodylian found near Marilia, Brazil. The first bone remains were found and collected in 1995 by Brazilian paleontologist William Nava, in red ...

'', but a recent phylogenetic analysis has shown that ''Mariliasuchus'' may instead be closer in relation to '' Comahuesuchus'' than to ''Candidodon'' and thus a member of the family

Comahuesuchidae Comahuesuchidae is a family of notosuchian crocodyliforms. Constructed in 1991, it includes the genera ''Comahuesuchus'' and ''Anatosuchus''. Among the characteristics that are unique to this family is an external naris that is inset into the tip ...

. If this is true, ''Candidodon'' would be the only member of the family Candidodontidae.

References

Notosuchians Early Cretaceous crocodylomorphs of South America Albian life Fossil taxa described in 1988 Prehistoric pseudosuchian genera {{paleo-archosaur-stub