Cynodontosuchus is an extinct genus of baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian. Fossils have been found from Argentina of Late Cretaceous age from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation (dating back to the Santonian), the Pichi Picun Leufu Formation (dating back to the Coniacian and Santonian). the Tiupampan Santa Lucía Formation of Bolivia.

Cynodontosuchus
Temporal range: Coniacian-Danian (Tiupampan)
~85–62 Ma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Clade: Crocodylomorpha
Clade: Crocodyliformes
Clade: Notosuchia
Clade: Sebecosuchia
Family: Baurusuchidae
Genus: Cynodontosuchus
Woodward 1896
Species

Description

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Cynodontosuchus was the first non-Cenozoic sebecosuchian to be described, being assigned to the suborder in 1896 by Arthur Smith Woodward.[1] It was described on the basis of an incomplete snout and articulated lower jaw. The presence of a large saber-like second maxillary tooth and a diastema between the maxilla and premaxilla that made room for a large mandibular tooth suggests that Cynodontosuchus is a member of the family Baurusuchidae.[2] It has been proposed several times that the genus is a senior synonym of Baurusuchus.[3][4] However, it differs from Baurusuchus in that its rostrum is less deep and has five maxillary teeth.[5]

References

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  1. ^ 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 Museo de la Plata, Paleontologia Argentina. 6: 1–20.
  2. ^ Steel, R. (1973). Crocodylia. In: Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie. G. Fischer, Stuttgart and Portland, 16, 116p.
  3. ^ Gasparini, Z.B. (1996). Biogeographic evolution of the South American crocodilians. München Geowiss. Abh., A(30):159-184.
  4. ^ Carvalho, I. S.; Campos, A. C. A.; Nobre, P. H. (2005). "Baurusuchus salgadoensis, a new Crocodylomorpha from the Bauru Basin (Cretaceous)" (PDF). Gondwana Research. 8 (1): 11–30. doi:10.1016/S1342-937X(05)70259-8.
  5. ^ Buffetaut, E. (1982). "Radiation évolutive, paléoécologie et al. biogéographie des crocodiliens mésosuchiens". Mémoire de la Société Géologique de France. 142: 1–88.