Notosuchus

Notosuchus (/noʊtəˈsuːkəs/; 'southern crocodile') is an extinct genus of South American notosuchian crocodylomorph. It was terrestrial, living approximately 85 million years ago in the Coniacian or Santonian stages of the Late Cretaceous.[1]

Notosuchus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 85 Ma
↓
Life restoration of Notosuchus terrestris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Family: †Notosuchidae
Genus: †Notosuchus
Woodward, 1896
Species
  • N. terrestris Woodward, 1896 (type)
  • N. lepidus Saez, 1957

Notosuchus was relatively small, reaching 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in length and a weight of 36 kg (79 lb).[2] Remains have been found in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation in Patagonia, Argentina. First named in 1896, Notosuchus was the first known notosuchian.[3] The type species is N. terrestris. A second species, N. lepidus, was named in 1957.[4]

A paper published in 2008 by Fiorelli and Calvo described new remains of the type species N. terrestris.[5] In it, the authors suggested that the skull would have supported a short trunk, or "hog's snout" as well as fleshy upper and lower lips. The anteriorly directed nares and the absence of a bony nasal septum (which presumably indicates cartilaginous tissue serving its place) provide evidence for a trunk-like snout, while striations on the surface of the nasal bones and the lower jaw most likely acted as attachment points for the nasolabial muscles and the depressor muscle, respectively.[6] Additionally, the authors suggested that a lateral rim on the dentary as well as numerous aligned neurovascular foramina are evidence of soft cheek-like muscular tissue. The function of the trunk was likely used for searching for food by sniffing the ground in a manner similar to extant suids and peccaries, while the cheeks would aid in mastication by preventing food loss.[5] A re-description of the skull material has since lent evidence toward minimal soft-tissue enhancement to the snout of Notosuchus.[7]

References
  1. Hugo, CA; Leanza, HA (2001). "Hoja Geológica 3969-IV, General Roca. Provincias de Río Negro y Neuquén". Boletín Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino, Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales. 308: 1–65.
  2. "Notosuchus - paleofiles.com".
  3. Woodward, AS (1896). "On Two Mesozoic Crocodilians Notosuchus (Genus Novum) and Cynodontosuchus (Genus Novum) from the Red Sandstone of the Territory of Neuquen (Argentine Republic)". Anales del Museuo de la Plata, Paleontologia Argentina. 6: 1–20.
  4. Saez, MD (1957). "Crocodiloideos Fosiles Argentinos un nuevo Crocodilo del Mesozoico Argentino". Ameghiniana. 1–2: 49–50.
  5. Fiorelli, L. E.; Calvo, J. O. (2008). "New remains of Notosuchus terrestris Woodward, 1896 (Crocodyliformes: Mesoeucrocodylia) from Late Cretaceous of Neuquen, Patagonia, Argentina". Arquivos do Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. 66 (1): 83–124.
  6. Fiorelli, L. E. (2005). "Nuevos restos de Notosuchus terrestris Woodward, 1896 (Crocodyliformes: Mesoeucrocodylia) del Cretácico Superior (Santoniano) de la Provincia de Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina". 79p. Tesis (Grado) Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba.
  7. Barrios, F.; Bona, P; Carabajal, A.P.; Gasparini, Z. (2017). "Re-description of the cranio-mandibular anatomy of Notosuchus terrestris (Crocodyliformes, Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia". Cretaceous Research. 83: 3–39. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2017.08.016.


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