Erpetosuchus

Erpetosuchus
Temporal range: Late Triassic 237–208.5 Ma
Fossils described in 1894
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Clade: Suchia
Family: Erpetosuchidae
Genus: Erpetosuchus
Newton, 1894
Species
  • E. granti Newton, 1894 (type)

Erpetosuchus is an extinct genus of pseudosuchian from the Late Triassic. The type species of Erpetosuchus is E. granti. It was first described by E. T. Newton in 1894 for remains found in northeastern Scotland, including four specimens from the latest Carnian Lossiemouth Sandstone Formation.[1] Additional remains of Erpetosuchus have been found in the New Haven Formation of Connecticut in the eastern United States, although they were not attributed to the species E. granti. The relationship of Erpetosuchus to other archosaurs is uncertain. In 2000 and 2002, it was considered a close relative of the group Crocodylomorpha, which includes living crocodylians and many extinct relatives. However, this relationship was questioned in a 2012 analysis that found the phylogenetic placement of Erpetosuchus to be very uncertain.

  1. ^ "Palaeos Mesozoic: Triassic: Late Triassic: Carnian - 3". Archived from the original on 2013-06-17. Retrieved 2012-05-22.