Neosuchia

Neosuchia
Temporal range: Early Jurassic - Recent, 196.5–0 Ma
Crocodylus niloticus, a modern crocodylid
Sarcosuchus imperator, a pholidosaurid from North Africa in the Early Cretaceous
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Clade: Crocodylomorpha
Clade: Crocodyliformes
Clade: Metasuchia
Clade: Neosuchia
Benton & Clark, 1988
Subgroups

Neosuchia is a clade within Mesoeucrocodylia that includes all modern extant crocodilians and their closest fossil relatives.[1] It is defined as the most inclusive clade containing all crocodylomorphs more closely related to Crocodylus niloticus (the Nile Crocodile) than to Notosuchus terrestris.[2] Members of Neosuchia generally share a crocodilian-like bodyform adapted to freshwater aquatic life, as opposed to the terrestrial habits of more basal crocodylomorph groups.[3] The earliest neosuchian is suggested to be the Early Jurassic Calsoyasuchus, which lived during the Sinemurian and Pliensbachian stages in North America. It is often identified as a member of Goniopholididae,[4] though this is disputed, and the taxon may lie outside Neosuchia, which places the earliest records of the group in the Middle Jurassic.[3]

  1. ^ Wilson, J. A.; Malkani, M. S.; Gingerich, P. D. (2001). "New crocodyliform (Reptilia, Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Upper Cretaceous Pab Formation of Vitakri, Balochistan (Pakistan)" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan. 30 (12): 321–336. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  2. ^ Larsson, H. C. E.; Sidor, C. A.; Gado, B.; Gado, B (2001). "The giant crocodyliform Sarcosuchus from the Cretaceous of Africa" (PDF). Science. 294 (5546): 1516–1519. doi:10.1126/science.1066521. PMID 11679634. S2CID 22956704. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
  3. ^ a b Wilberg, Eric W.; Turner, Alan H.; Brochu, Christopher A. (2019-01-24). "Evolutionary structure and timing of major habitat shifts in Crocodylomorpha". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 514. Bibcode:2019NatSR...9..514W. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-36795-1. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 6346023. PMID 30679529.
  4. ^ Tykoski, R. S.; Rowe, T. B.; Ketcham, R. A.; Colbert, M. W. (2002). "Calsoyasuchus valliceps, a new crocodyliform from the Early Jurassic Kayenta Formation of Arizona" (PDF). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 22 (3): 593–611. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022[0593:CVANCF]2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 2009-11-02.