Phosphatosaurus

Phosphatosaurus
Temporal range: Early Eocene, 48.6 Ma (ghost lineage extends from Maastrichtian)[1]
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Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Clade: Crocodylomorpha
Clade: Crocodyliformes
Family: †Dyrosauridae
Genus: †Phosphatosaurus
Bergounioux, 1955
Species
  • †P. gavialoides Bergounioux, 1955 (type)

Phosphatosaurus is an extinct genus of dyrosaurid crocodylomorph. It existed during the early Eocene, with fossils having been found from North Africa in Tunisia and Mali. Named in 1955, Phosphatosaurus is a monotypic genus; the type species is P. gavialoides.[2] A specimen has been discovered from Niger, but it cannot be classified at the species level.[3]

Phosphatosaurus is closely related to the Cretaceous genus Sokotosuchus, which is known from Niger and Mali. Because Phosphatosaurus is only known from Paleogene localities, the close relationship with Sokotosuchus implies that there is a long ghost lineage extending back into the Maastrichtian that is not known in the fossil record.[1]

  1. ^ a b Hill, R. V.; McCartney, J. A.; Roberts, E. M.; Bouaré, M. L.; Sissoko, F.; O'Leary, M. A. (2008). "Dyrosaurid (Crocodyliformes: Mesoeucrocodylia) fossils from the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene of Mali: implications for phylogeny and survivorship across the K/T Boundary" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (3631): 15–17. doi:10.1206/598.1. S2CID 56118152.
  2. ^ Bergounioux, F. M. (1956). "Les reptiles fossiles des dépôts phosphatés sud tunisiens". Annales des Mines et de la Géologie. 15: 105.
  3. ^ Buffetaut, E. (1979). "Présence du Crocodilien Phosphatosaurus (Mesosuchia, Dyrosauridae) dans le Paléocène du Niger et du Mali". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 53 (3–4): 323–333. doi:10.1007/bf02986594. S2CID 129809504.