Dromicosuchus Temporal range:
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Holotype at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauria |
Clade: | Pseudosuchia |
Clade: | Crocodylomorpha |
Genus: | †Dromicosuchus Sues et al., 2003 |
Species: | †D. grallator
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Binomial name | |
†Dromicosuchus grallator Sues et al., 2003
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Dromicosuchus (Ancient Greek, meaning "fleet or quickly walking crocodile") is an extinct genus of sphenosuchian, a type of basal crocodylomorph, the clade that comprises the crocodilians and their closest kin. It was found in Upper Triassic rocks of North Carolina, United States, and is known from a nearly complete skull and partial skeleton. This specimen is unusual in that it was found beneath the skeleton of a larger rauisuchian (Postosuchus alisonae) and has apparent bite damage, suggesting that it was attacked by the larger carnivore before both died and were buried together.