Amargasuchus

Amargasuchus
Temporal range: Barremian-Early Aptian
~130–120 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
Clade: Sebecia
Family: Peirosauridae
Genus: Amargasuchus
Chiappe 1988
Species
  • A. minor Chiappe 1988 (type)

Amargasuchus is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph. It was a member of the Trematochampsidae, an enigmatic family of mesoeucrocodylians. Fossils have been found from the La Amarga Formation in Argentina and date back to the Barremian and Aptian stages of the Early Cretaceous.[1] Amargasuchus inhabited a terrestrial paleoenvironment that existed during the Early Cretaceous in the Neuquén basin and was characterized by a system of braided rivers, lakes, and alluvial plains. Sauropod, abelisauroid, and stegosaurian dinosaurs have also been found existing in the Neuquén basin at this time.

The holotype was discovered in 1984 in association with the dicraeosaurid sauropod dinosaur Amargasaurus.[2]

  1. ^ Candeiro, Carlos Roberto A. and Martinelli, Agustín G. (2006)A review of paleogeographical and chronostratigraphical distribution of mesoeucrocodylian species from the upper Cretaceous beds from the Bauru (Brazil) and Neuquén (Argentina) groups, Southern South America. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 22(2): 116-129.
  2. ^ Chiappe, Luis M. (1988). "A new trematochampsid crocodile from the Early Cretaceous of north-western Patagonia, Argentina and its palaeobiogeographical and phylogenetic implications". Cretaceous Research. 9 (4): 379–389. Bibcode:1988CrRes...9..379C. doi:10.1016/0195-6671(88)90009-2.