Junggarsuchus

Junggarsuchus; Temporal range: Middle Jurassic Callovian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Life restoration of Junggarsuchus sloani
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Crocodyliformes
Genus:	†Junggarsuchus; Clark et al., 2004
Type species
	†Junggarsuchus sloani; Clark et al., 2004

Junggarsuchus is an extinct genus of sphenosuchian crocodylomorph from the Middle Jurassic of China. The type species is J. sloani.[1]

Description

Although the skull of Junggarsuchus shares many characteristics with those of modern crocodilians, it is morphologically intermediate between sphenosuchians and mesoeucrocodylians. As in other sphenosuchians, the limbs of Junggarsuchus were adapted to terrestrial locomotion (movement on land), rather than semi-aquatic locomotion seen in living crocodilians. These adaptations include: a vertically orientated upper arm bone, ball-and-socket shoulder joint, and a functionally tridactyl (three-fingered) hand.[1]

gollark: I'm sure you'd like us to think so.

gollark: This was confirmed using data and algorithms.

gollark: Actually, he's a class N22 apioform.

gollark: YET.

gollark: Presumably because they do not all have the same set of operætors.

References

Clark, James M.; Xing Xu; Forster, Catherine A.; Yuan Wang (2004). "A Middle Jurassic 'sphenosuchian' from China and the origin of the crocodylian skull". Nature. 430 (7003): 1021–1024. doi:10.1038/nature02802. PMID 15329719.

External links

In Crocodile Evolution, the Bite Came Before the Body (article at National Geographic)

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[JMCetal04-1] Clark, James M.; Xing Xu; Forster, Catherine A.; Yuan Wang (2004). "A Middle Jurassic 'sphenosuchian' from China and the origin of the crocodylian skull". Nature. 430 (7003): 1021–1024. doi:10.1038/nature02802. PMID 15329719.