Maroccosuchus
Extinct genus of reptiles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maroccosuchus zennaroi is an extinct gavialoid crocodylian from the Early Eocene of Morocco, traditionally regarded as a member of the subfamily Tomistominae.[2][3]
| Maroccosuchus Temporal range: Early Eocene, | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Crocodylia |
| Family: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | †Maroccosuchus Jonet & Wouters, 1977 |
| Type species | |
| †Maroccosuchus zennaroi Jonet & Wouters, 1977 | |
Below is a cladogram based on morphological studies comparing skeletal features that shows Maroccosuchus as a member of Tomistominae, related to the false gharial:[4]
| Crocodylidae |
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Based on morphological studies of extinct taxa, the tomistomines were long thought to be classified as crocodiles and not closely related to gavialoids.[5] However, recent molecular studies using DNA sequencing have consistently indicated that the false gharial (Tomistoma) (and by inference other related extinct forms in Tomistominae) actually belong to Gavialoidea (and Gavialidae).[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
Below is a cladogram from a 2018 tip dating study by Lee & Yates simultaneously using morphological, molecular (DNA sequencing), and stratigraphic (fossil age) data that shows Maroccosuchus as an early-diverging gavialoid, more basal than the last common ancestor to both the gharial and the false gharial:[11]
| Gavialoidea |
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| (total group) |