Litargosuchus
Encyclopedia
Litargosuchus is an extinct genus
of sphenosuchia
n crocodylomorph
from the Early Jurassic
of South Africa
. Its remains were originally described by Gow and James Kitching
in 1988 as belonging to Pedeticosaurus sp.
. The fossils was re-described in 2002 by James Clark
and Hans-Dieter Sues
, who erected a new generic name for the specimen.
The type species is L. leptorhynchus, for its thin and delicate muzzle.
for Litargosuchus was found by James Kitching, of the University of the Witwatersrand
in Johannesburg
, on strata belonging to the lower part of the Elliot Formation
, just 2 meters above the Clarens Formation
. It was given the number BP/1/5237, and assigned by Gow and Kitching to Pedeticosaurus sp. The material consists of a skull, mandible and part of the postcranial skeleton.
According to its description, Litargosuchus belongs to the Sphenosuchidae. However, phylogenetic relationships within the Sphenosuchia are poorly understood, so its status within this clade is uncertain.
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 sphenosuchia
Sphenosuchia
Sphenosuchia is a suborder of basal crocodylomorphs that first appeared in the Triassic and occurred into the Late Jurassic. Most were small, gracile animals with an erect limb posture. They are now thought to be ancestral to crocodyliforms, which include all living crocodilians.-Stratigraphic...
n crocodylomorph
Crocodylomorpha
The Crocodylomorpha are an important group of archosaurs that include the crocodilians and their extinct relatives.During Mesozoic and early Tertiary times the Crocodylomorpha were far more diverse than they are now. Triassic forms were small, lightly built, active terrestrial animals. These were...
from the Early Jurassic
Early Jurassic
The Early Jurassic epoch is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic period...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Its remains were originally described by Gow and James Kitching
James Kitching
James William Kitching was a South African vertebrate palaeontologist and regarded as one of the world’s greatest fossil finders.-Career:...
in 1988 as belonging to Pedeticosaurus sp.
Pedeticosaurus
Pedeticosaurus is an extinct genus of sphenosuchian crocodylomorph from the Clarens Formation of South Africa. The type species is P. leviseuri....
. The fossils was re-described in 2002 by James Clark
James Clark
James Clark may refer to:* James Clark , Ambassador from the United Kingdom to Luxembourg* James Clark , Governor of Kentucky from 1836 to 1839* James Clark , Mayor of Auckland...
and Hans-Dieter Sues
Hans-Dieter Sues
Hans-Dieter Sues is a German-born paleontologist who is Senior Scientist and Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. He received his education at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz , University of Alberta, and...
, who erected a new generic name for the specimen.
The type species is L. leptorhynchus, for its thin and delicate muzzle.
Material
The holotypeHolotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
for Litargosuchus was found by James Kitching, of the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, on strata belonging to the lower part of the Elliot Formation
Elliot Formation
The Elliot Formation is a geological formation dating to roughly 210 to 190 million years ago and covering the Norian to Sinemurian stages. The Elliot Formation is found in South Africa and Lesotho and is a member of the Stormberg Group. It consists mainly of limestone, sandstone, and mudstone...
, just 2 meters above the Clarens Formation
Clarens Formation
The Clarens Formation is a prominent fossil site in the Tuli Basin, in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa.-Fauna of the Clarens Formation:Unidentified dinosaur eggs have been recovered from the formation.-Bony fish:-Dinosaurs:-Synapsids:...
. It was given the number BP/1/5237, and assigned by Gow and Kitching to Pedeticosaurus sp. The material consists of a skull, mandible and part of the postcranial skeleton.
Systematics
- See SphenosuchiaSphenosuchiaSphenosuchia is a suborder of basal crocodylomorphs that first appeared in the Triassic and occurred into the Late Jurassic. Most were small, gracile animals with an erect limb posture. They are now thought to be ancestral to crocodyliforms, which include all living crocodilians.-Stratigraphic...
for details on sphenosuchian phylogeny
According to its description, Litargosuchus belongs to the Sphenosuchidae. However, phylogenetic relationships within the Sphenosuchia are poorly understood, so its status within this clade is uncertain.