Zosuchus
Encyclopedia
Zosuchus is a genus
of basal
, Late Cretaceous
crocodyliform
from the Redbeds of Zos Canyon (Djadokhta Formation) in the Gobi Desert
of Mongolia
. It was discovered by expeditions organized by the American Museum of Natural History
, and described by palaeontologists Diego Pol and Mark Norell.
The type species is Z. davidsoni, after Amy Davidson.
+ Shantungosuchus
). These three form a basal clade of crocodyliforms joined together by the presence of a ventrally deflected posterior region of the mandibular rami.
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 basal
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
, 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...
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...
from the Redbeds of Zos Canyon (Djadokhta Formation) 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...
. It was discovered by expeditions organized by the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, and described by palaeontologists Diego Pol and Mark Norell.
The type species is Z. davidsoni, after Amy Davidson.
Material
Material of Z. davidsoni consists of five specimens:- IGM 100/1305 (holotype): isolated skull and lower jaws
- IGM 100/1304
- IGM 100/1306
- IGM 100/1307
- IGM 100/1308
Systematics
Pol & Norell (2004) found Zosuchus davidsoni to be the sister taxon of the clade (SichuanosuchusSichuanosuchus
Sichuanosuchus is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph from the Late Jurassic and possibly Early Cretaceous of China.-References:* Chinese Fossil Vertebrates by Spencer G. Lucas...
+ Shantungosuchus
Shantungosuchus
Shantungosuchus is an extinct genus of Cretaceous crocodyliform found in China. It includes three species: Shantungosuchus chuhsienensis, and S. brachycephalus, which were both described by Yang Zhongjian – usually referred to as "Young" – in 1961 and 1982, and S. hangjinensis, which...
). These three form a basal clade of crocodyliforms joined together by the presence of a ventrally deflected posterior region of the mandibular rami.