Mahajangasuchidae

Summary

Mahajangasuchidae is an extinct family of notosuchian[2][3] crocodyliforms. It currently contains two genera, Mahajangasuchus and Kaprosuchus, both of which lived during the Late Cretaceous in Gondwana. It is defined as the most inclusive clade containing Mahajangasuchus insignis but not Notosuchus terrestris, Simosuchus clarki, Araripesuchus gomesii, Baurusuchus pachecoi, Peirosaurus torminni, Goniopholis crassidens, Pholidosaurus schaumbergensis, or Crocodylus niloticus.[1] Phylogenetically, Mahajangasuchidae is placed just outside pholidosaurids and more derived neosuchians.[3]

Mahajangasuchidae
Temporal range: 95–66 Ma Cenomanian - Maastrichtian
Mahajangasuchus insignis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Clade: Crocodylomorpha
Clade: Crocodyliformes
Clade: Metasuchia
Family: Mahajangasuchidae
Sereno and Larsson, 2009[1]
Genera

Defining characters of the family include fused nasals, a jaw articulation below the posterior maxillary tooth row, a deep mandibular symphysis that is oriented anterodorsally, and the formation of a hornlike posterodorsal process from the squamosal and parietal (which is much more pronounced in Kaprosuchus).

Phylogeny edit

 
Skull of Kaprosuchus saharicus

Cladogram showing the phylogenetic relationship of Mahajangasuchidae within Neosuchia after Sereno and Larsson, 2009:[1]

Neosuchia 

Sebecia

unnamed
 Mahajangasuchidae 
unnamed

In 2014, Mahajangasuchidae were grouped within Notosuchia:[2]

The cladogram following by Nicholl et al. 2021:[3]

See also edit

  • Sebecosuchia - another group of terrestrial crocodylomorphs.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Sereno, Paul; Larsson, Hans (2009-11-19). "Cretaceous Crocodyliforms from the Sahara". ZooKeys (28): 1–143. doi:10.3897/zookeys.28.325. ISSN 1313-2970.
  2. ^ a b Pol, D.; Nascimento, P. M.; Carvalho, A. B.; Riccomini, C.; Pires-Domingues, R. A.; Zaher, H. (2014). "A New Notosuchian from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil and the Phylogeny of Advanced Notosuchians". PLOS ONE. 9 (4): e93105. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...993105P. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093105. PMC 3973723. PMID 24695105.
  3. ^ a b c Nicholl CS, Hunt ES, Ouarhache D, Mannion PD (2021). "A second peirosaurid crocodyliform from the Mid-Cretaceous Kem Kem Group of Morocco and the diversity of Gondwanan notosuchians outside South America". Royal Society Open Science. 8 (10): Article ID 211254. doi:10.1098/rsos.211254. PMC 8511751. PMID 34659786.