''Sabresuchus'' is an extinct genus of
neosuchia
Neosuchia is a clade within Mesoeucrocodylia that includes all modern extant crocodilians and their closest fossil relatives. It is defined as the most inclusive clade containing all crocodylomorphs more closely related to ''Crocodylus niloticu ...
n
crocodyliform
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 ps ...
from the Cretaceous of Europe. The name is derived from 'Sabre' in reference to the enlarged and curved fifth maxillary tooth, and 'suchus' from the Ancient Greek for crocodile.
Taxonomy
Two valid species are currently recognized: ''Sabresuchus ibericus'' from eastern
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, and ''Sabresuchus symplesiodon'' from
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...
,.
[ Both species were previously assigned under the genus ''Theriosuchus'', as ''T. ibericus''] and ''T. symplesiodon'' respectively. A 2016 cladistic analysis recovered it as a neosuchia
Neosuchia is a clade within Mesoeucrocodylia that includes all modern extant crocodilians and their closest fossil relatives. It is defined as the most inclusive clade containing all crocodylomorphs more closely related to ''Crocodylus niloticu ...
n more closely related to members of the family Paralligatoridae
Paralligatoridae is an extinct family of neosuchian crocodyliforms that existed during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. It includes the genera ''Paralligator'', '' Brillanceausuchus'', '' Kansajsuchus'', ''Shamosuchus'', ''Scolomastax'', ''Sa ...
than to atoposaurids.[
]
References
Neosuchians
Crocodyliforms
Cretaceous Romania
Fossils of Romania
Cretaceous Spain
Fossils of Spain
La Huérguina Formation
Fossil taxa described in 2016
Prehistoric pseudosuchian genera
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