Gobiosuchidae
Family of reptiles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gobiosuchidae is a family of Cretaceous crocodyliforms known from Mongolia and Spain.
| Gobiosuchidae Temporal range: Late Barremian - Late Campanian | |
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| A specimen of Gobiosuchus encased in armor | |
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| Skeletal diagram of Zaraasuchus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Pseudosuchia |
| Clade: | Crocodylomorpha |
| Superfamily: | †Gobiosuchoidea |
| Family: | †Gobiosuchidae Osmólska, 1972 |
| Genera | |
Genera
Three genera are currently classified within Gobiosuchidae: Cassissuchus, Gobiosuchus, and Zaraasuchus.[1]
Synapomorphies
According to Pol & Norell (2004), gobiosuchids form a clade united by the following synapomorphies:
- Parietal without broad occipital portion
- Absence of external mandibular fenestra
- More than two parallel rows of dorsal osteoderms
- Cranial table as wide as ventral portion of skull
- Palpebrals sutured to each other and the frontal, excluding it from the orbital margin
- External surface of ascending process of jugal exposed posterolaterally
- Longitudinal ridge on lateral surface of jugal below infratemporal fenestra
- Dorsal surface of posterolateral process of squamosal ornamented with three longitudinal ridges
- Presence of a sharp ridge along ventral surface of angular
- Surangular with a longitudinal ridge on its dorsolateral surface
- Dorsal surface of osteoderms ornamented with anterolaterally and anteromedially directed ridges
- Cervical region surrounded by lateral and ventral osteoderms sutured to the dorsal elements
- Presence of appendicular osteoderms
- Closed, or incipiently close, supratemporal fenestra
Sources
- Pol, D. & Norell, M. A., (2004). "A new gobiosuchid crocodyliform taxon from the Cretaceous of Mongolia". American Museum Novitates 3458: 1-31.