Description | Asiatosuchus is an extinct genus of crocodyloid crocodilians that lived in Eurasia during the Paleogene. Many Paleogene crocodilians from Europe and Asia have been attributed to Asiatosuchus since the genus was named in 1940. These species have a generalized crocodilian morphology typified by flat, triangular skulls. The feature that traditionally united these species under the genus Asiatosuchus is a broad connection or symphysis between the two halves of the lower jaw. Recent studies of the evolutionary relationships of early crocodilians along with closer examinations of the morphology of fossil specimens suggest that only the first named species of Asiatosuchus, A. grangeri from the Eocene of Mongolia, belongs in the genus. Most species are now regarded as nomina dubia or "dubious names", meaning that their type specimens lack the unique anatomical features necessary to justify their classification as distinct species. Other species such as "A." germanicus and "A." depressifrons are still considered valid species, but they do not form an evolutionary grouping with A. grangeri that would warrant them being placed together in the genus Asiatosuchus.
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Source Data | |
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Rank | species |
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Taxonomy (GBIF) | Life : Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Crocodylia : Crocodylidae : Crocodylus : Crocodylus depressifrons |
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Taxonomy (PBDB) | Life : Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Crocodylia : Crocodylidae : Crocodylus : Crocodylus depressifrons |
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Taxonomic Status (GBIF) | accepted |
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Classification (PBDB,GBIF) | |
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Generic Name | Crocodylus |
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Scientific Name | Crocodylus depressifrons (Blainville, 1855) |
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Opinions (PBDB) | Name | Rank | Opinion | Evidence | Author |
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Crocodylus depressifrons | species | belongs to Crocodylus | stated with evidence | Blainville, 1855 | Crocodylus depressifrons | species | belongs to Asiatosuchus | stated without evidence | Delfino et al., 2017 |
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Status (PBDB) | extinct |
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Taxon Size (PBDB) | 1 |
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First Recorded Appearance | 59.2 - 56.0 Ma Paleocene |
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Last Recorded Appearance | 47.8 - 41.3 Ma Eocene |
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Environment | marine (based on Mesoeucrocodylia) |
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Motility | actively mobile (based on Osteichthyes) |
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Diet | carnivore (based on Crocodylia) |
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Taphonomy | phosphatic (based on Vertebrata) |
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Primary Reference (PBDB) | M. Delfino and T. Smith. 2009. A reassessment of the morphology and taxonomic status of ‘Crocodylus’ depressifrons Blainville, 1855 (Crocodylia, Crocodyloidea) based on the Early Eocene remains from Belgium. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 156:140-167 |
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Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocodylus_depressifrons |
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Delfino M., Smith T. (2009) A reassessment of the morphology and taxonomic status of ‘Crocodylus’ depressifrons Blainville, 1855 (Crocodylia, Crocodyloidea) based on the Early Eocene remains from Belgium, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 156, 140-167 |
Dollo L. (1909) The fossil vertebrates of Belgium, Annals of the New York Academy of Science 19 4, 99-119 |
Swinton W. E. (1938) A note on the synonymy of three species of fossil crocodile of de Blainville, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 11 1, 31-33 |
Delfino M., Martin J. E., et al (2017) Evidence for a pre-PETM dispersal of the earliest European crocodyloids, Historical Biology doi:10.1080/08912963.2017.1396323 |