Zaraasuchus
Encyclopedia
Zaraasuchus was a gobiosuchid
crocodyliform
described in 2004 by Diego Pol and Mark Norell. It was found in the Red Beds of Zos Canyon, in the Gobi Desert
of Mongolia
, thus making it Late Cretaceous
in age.
The type species is Z. shepardi, honouring Dr. Richard Shepard.
of Z. shepardi is IGM 100/1321, consisting of the posterior region of the skull and lower jaws with articulation with cervical vertebrae, forelimb elements and osteoderms.
, united by 14 synapomorphies, primarily from the skull, forming the family Gobiosuchidae.
Gobiosuchidae
Gobiosuchidae is a family of Late Cretaceous crocodyliforms that lived in what is now the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.- Genera :The two genera currently classified within Gobiosuchidae are Gobiosuchus and Zaraasuchus.- Synapomorphies :...
crocodyliform
Crocodyliformes
Crocodyliformes is a clade of crurotarsan archosaurs, the group often traditionally referred to as "crocodilians."In 1988, Michael J. Benton and James M. Clark argued that all traditional names for well-known groups of animals should be restricted to their crown clades, that is, used only for...
described in 2004 by Diego Pol and Mark Norell. It was found in the Red Beds of Zos Canyon, in the Gobi Desert
Gobi Desert
The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
of Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, thus making it Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
in age.
The type species is Z. shepardi, honouring Dr. Richard Shepard.
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...
of Z. shepardi is IGM 100/1321, consisting of the posterior region of the skull and lower jaws with articulation with cervical vertebrae, forelimb elements and osteoderms.
Systematics
Pol and Norell (2004) found Zaraaduchus shepardi to be the sister taxon of Gobiosuchus kielanaeGobiosuchus
Gobiosuchus was a gobiosuchid crocodyliform described in 1972 by Polish palaeontologist Halszka Osmólska. It hails from the Late Cretaceous of Bayn Dzak , in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia....
, united by 14 synapomorphies, primarily from the skull, forming the family Gobiosuchidae.