Aldabrachampsus
Encyclopedia
Aldabrachampsus is an extinct genus
of crocodylian. A horned crocodile, its incomplete remains were found on Aldabra
Atoll in the western Indian Ocean
. It was small (perhaps 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) long) and lived during the Pleistocene
.
Because it is known from fragmentary material, its relationships to modern crocodylians are unclear. It appears to have been a crocodylid, but could be closer to either the African dwarf crocodiles (Osteolaemus) or the true crocodiles (Crocodylus
).
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of crocodylian. A horned crocodile, its incomplete remains were found on Aldabra
Aldabra
Aldabra, the world's second largest coral atoll, is in the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that form part of the Seychelles. Uninhabited and extremely isolated, Aldabra is virtually untouched by humans, has distinctive island fauna including the Aldabra Giant Tortoise, and is...
Atoll in the western Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. It was small (perhaps 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) long) and lived during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
.
Because it is known from fragmentary material, its relationships to modern crocodylians are unclear. It appears to have been a crocodylid, but could be closer to either the African dwarf crocodiles (Osteolaemus) or the true crocodiles (Crocodylus
Crocodylus
Crocodylus is one of three genera from the Crocodylinae subfamily extending from the Crocodylidae family.Established species include three extinct species:* † Crocodylus acer - probably represents a distinct genus....
).