Indosuchus
| Indosuchus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Right premaxilla questionably assigned to I. raptorius (specimen AMNH 1753)[1] | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Family: | †Abelisauridae |
| Genus: | †Indosuchus Huene, 1932 |
| Species: | †I. raptorius |
| Binomial name | |
| †Indosuchus raptorius | |
Indosuchus (lit. 'Indian crocodile') is an extinct genus of abelisaurid theropod from the Late Cretaceous of India, approximately 70–66 million years ago, during the Maastrichtian age. Like other theropods, it was a bipedal carnivore. It measured approximately 7 m (23 ft) in length and weighed and estimated 1.2 tonnes (1.3 short tons).[2] Its skull was flattened across the top and bore a prominent crest.
Discovery and naming
[edit]Indosuchus was named by Friedrich von Huene in 1932[3] and formally described by Huene and Charles Alfred Matley in 1933. The description was based on three partial skulls discovered by Matley near Jabalpur, in Madhya Pradesh within the Lameta Formation.[4] The lectotype, specimen GSI K27/685, consists of the parietal and frontal bones of a single individual.[5] Two additional specimens were designated as paralectotypes, both preserving parts of the posterior skull and assigned to the genus on the basis of their parietal morphology.[6][4] The known remains of the lectotype have since been lost.
The generic name Indosuchus combines Indos, the Ancient Greek name for the Indus River, and Soukhos, the Greek name for the Egyptian crocodile god Sobek. The specific name raptorius is derived from Latin and means "raptorial".[4]
Classification
[edit]
Because only some skull elements have been found, Indosuchus placement has been somewhat erratic. Although it is now somewhat firmly placed within the Abelisauridae, it was originally assigned by von Huene to the Allosauridae. Alick Walker thought in 1964 it was a member of the Tyrannosauridae. The discovery of other abelisaurids like Carnotaurus has helped clarify its position; in 1986 José Bonaparte concluded it was an abelisaurid.
Indosuchus is defined based on how the frontonasal suture is placed anteriorly compared to lacrimal, according to Novas et al., 2004.[1]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Novas, F., Agnolin, F., & Bandyopadhyay, S. (2004). Cretaceous theropods from India: a review of specimens described by Huene and Matley (1933). Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales nueva serie, 6(1), 67-103.
- ↑ Paul, G.S., (2010), The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs, Princeton University Press p. 78
- ↑ Huene, F. von, 1932, Die fossile Reptil-Ordnung Saurischia, ihre Entwicklung und Geschichte: Monographien zur Geologie und Palaeontologie, 1e Serie, Heft 4, pp. 1-361
- 1 2 3 F. v. Huene and C. A. Matley, 1933, "The Cretaceous Saurischia and Ornithischia of the Central Provinces of India", Palaeontologica Indica (New Series), Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India 21(1): 1-74
- ↑ S. Chatterjee, 1978, "Indosuchus and Indosaurus, Cretaceous carnosaurs from India", Journal of Paleontology 52(3): 570-580
- ↑ Sebastian, D., & Gishlick, A. (2011, January). THEROPOD MATERIAL FROM LAMETA, INDIA, IN THE COLLECTION OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND ITS BEARING ON THE DIAGNOSIS AND PHYLOGENETIC AND TAXONOMIC STATUS OF INDOSUCHUS RAPTORIUS. In JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY (Vol. 31, pp. 95-95). 60 REVERE DR, STE 500, NORTHBROOK, IL 60062 USA: SOC VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY.
External links
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