Tomistoma cairense
Extinct species of reptile
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tomistoma cairense is an extinct species of gavialoid crocodilian from the Lutetian stage of the Eocene epoch.[3] It lived in North East Africa, especially Egypt.[3] Remains of T. cairense have been found in the Mokattam Formation, in Mokattam, Egypt.[4] Tomistoma cairense did not have a Maxilla process within their lacrimal gland, whereas all extant (living) crocodilians do.[5]
| Tomistoma cairense | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Archosauria |
| Order: | Crocodilia |
| Family: | Gavialidae |
| Genus: | Tomistoma |
| Species: | †T. cairense |
| Binomial name | |
| †Tomistoma cairense Müller, 1927[2] | |
Classification
Below is a cladogram based morphological studies comparing skeletal features that shows Tomistoma cairense as a member of Tomistominae, related to the false gharial:[6]
| Crocodylidae |
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Based on morphological studies of extinct taxa, the tomistomines (including the living false gharial) were long thought to be classified as crocodiles and not closely related to gavialoids.[7] 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).[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
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 Tomistoma cairense as a gavialoid, more basal than the last common ancestor to both the gharial and the false gharial:[13]
| Gavialoidea |
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| (stem-based group) |
Tomistoma cairense may need to be reclassified to a new genera, as studies have shown that its inclusion makes Tomistoma out to be paraphyletic.[6][13]