Hoplosuchus is a genus of crocodyliform belonging to Protosuchidae. It is so far only known definitely from one specimen, a skeleton collected from sandstone of the Upper Jurassic-age Morrison Formation rocks at Dinosaur National Monument, Utah, during road construction. The individual was small, approximately 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long, although it may have been very young. It is the basalmost crocodyliform of the Morrison Formation, as suggested by such attributes as still having antorbital fenestrae in the skull. The limbs were relatively long, suggesting that the animal was terrestrial. Two rows of bony scutes ran down the back. The crowns of the teeth are not well preserved, so the diet cannot be determined with certainty. Given its small size, it probably ate insects and small vertebrates; it may have been carnivorous or omnivorous.[1]
Charles W. Gilmore named Hoplosuchus in 1926; the type species is H. kayi. He described it as an aetosaur, a type of armored herbivorousarchosaur related to the crocodylomorphs, but it was later reevaluated as a crocodylomorph itself.[1] Sometimes classified as an atoposaurid,[2] a 1988 review of atoposaurids found it more likely to be a protosuchian-grade crocodylomorph.[3] A potential second specimen has been recovered from the Morrison Formation of northeastern Arizona; this individual would have been about 50 centimetres (20 in), but the skull is poorly preserved, leaving the identity of the animal unknown.[1] A 2017 cladistic analysis of Cassissuchus recovered it as a member of Protosuchidae.[4]
^ abcFoster, John (2007). Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp. 155–156. ISBN978-0-253-34870-8. OCLC 77830875.
^Carroll, Robert L. (1988). Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W.H. Freeman and Company. ISBN978-0-7167-1822-2.
^Buscalioni, Angela D.; Jose Luis Sanz (1988). "Phylogenetic relationships of the Atoposauridae (Archosauria, Crocodylomorpha)". Historical Biology. I (3): 233–250. doi:10.1080/08912968809386477.
^Buscalioni, Ángela D. (2017). "The Gobiosuchidae in the early evolution of Crocodyliformes". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 37 (3): e1324459. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1324459. S2CID 90236201.
hoplosuchus, genus, crocodyliform, belonging, protosuchidae, only, known, definitely, from, specimen, skeleton, collected, from, sandstone, upper, jurassic, morrison, formation, rocks, dinosaur, national, monument, utah, during, road, construction, individual,. Hoplosuchus is a genus of crocodyliform belonging to Protosuchidae It is so far only known definitely from one specimen a skeleton collected from sandstone of the Upper Jurassic age Morrison Formation rocks at Dinosaur National Monument Utah during road construction The individual was small approximately 20 centimetres 7 9 in long although it may have been very young It is the basalmost crocodyliform of the Morrison Formation as suggested by such attributes as still having antorbital fenestrae in the skull The limbs were relatively long suggesting that the animal was terrestrial Two rows of bony scutes ran down the back The crowns of the teeth are not well preserved so the diet cannot be determined with certainty Given its small size it probably ate insects and small vertebrates it may have been carnivorous or omnivorous 1 HoplosuchusTemporal range Late JurassicLife restoration of Hoplosuchus kayiScientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass SauropsidaSuperorder CrocodylomorphaOrder CrocodyliformesFamily ProtosuchidaeGenus HoplosuchusGilmore 1926SpeciesH kayi Gilmore 1926 type Classification edit nbsp Holotype fossilCharles W Gilmore named Hoplosuchus in 1926 the type species is H kayi He described it as an aetosaur a type of armored herbivorous archosaur related to the crocodylomorphs but it was later reevaluated as a crocodylomorph itself 1 Sometimes classified as an atoposaurid 2 a 1988 review of atoposaurids found it more likely to be a protosuchian grade crocodylomorph 3 A potential second specimen has been recovered from the Morrison Formation of northeastern Arizona this individual would have been about 50 centimetres 20 in but the skull is poorly preserved leaving the identity of the animal unknown 1 A 2017 cladistic analysis of Cassissuchus recovered it as a member of Protosuchidae 4 References edit nbsp Paleontology portal a b c Foster John 2007 Jurassic West The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World Bloomington Indiana Indiana University Press pp 155 156 ISBN 978 0 253 34870 8 OCLC 77830875 Carroll Robert L 1988 Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution W H Freeman and Company ISBN 978 0 7167 1822 2 Buscalioni Angela D Jose Luis Sanz 1988 Phylogenetic relationships of the Atoposauridae Archosauria Crocodylomorpha Historical Biology I 3 233 250 doi 10 1080 08912968809386477 Buscalioni Angela D 2017 The Gobiosuchidae in the early evolution of Crocodyliformes Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 37 3 e1324459 doi 10 1080 02724634 2017 1324459 S2CID 90236201 nbsp This article about a prehistoric archosaur is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hoplosuchus amp oldid 1199037049, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
