Paleontologists have described a new genus and species of long-nosed notothids from fragmentary remains found in Brazil's Adamantina Formation.
Epoidesuccus tavaresae is a new species of pyrosauridae from the Cretaceous Adamantina Formation of Brazil. Image credit: Lewis others., doi: 10.1002/ar.25559.
Epoidesuccus tavaresae They lived on the ancient supercontinent Gondwana during the late Cretaceous period, about 72 million years ago.
This ancient reptile was about 4 meters (13 feet) long, had a long, almost tubular snout, and probably lived a semi-aquatic lifestyle.
belongs to pyrosauridaeGondwanidae, a group of crocodilians belonging to the suborder Gondwanana. Notostia.
“Notoschia are an extremely diverse group of extinct crocodylidae found especially in the Cretaceous deposits of Gondwana, with more than 80 species described to date,” said lead author Juan of FEIS-UNESP. Dr. Lewis and colleagues said.
“Such taxonomic richness is also reflected in unexpected ecological diversity, including fully terrestrial and semi-aquatic morphologies, different feeding strategies, and perhaps occupation of many different ecological niches. It has been.”
“The Notothian fossil record is mostly confined to the Cretaceous Gondwana landmass, which included North Africa, Central Africa, Madagascar, and the Indian subcontinent, but the group reached its peak of diversity in South America. It was the late Cretaceous period.
Paleontologists say the pyrosauridae was first described in 1982.
“Despite the description of several species of pyrosauridae over the past 25 years and advances in our knowledge of the group's morphological and unique features, pyrosaurids have largely been excluded from broader phylogenetic studies.” said the researchers.
In the study, the researchers examined a fragment of the skull and one of the elements at the back of the skull. Epoidesuccus tavaresae.
This fossil was discovered in 2011 in an outcrop of the Adamantina Formation (Bauru Group) in the city of Catanduba in northwestern São Paulo state, Brazil.
“Our results provide further evidence for the existence of a two-lineage pyrosaurinae, the oleinilostrinae Peirosaurinae and the longilostrinae Pepestinae,” the scientists said. Ta.
“Furthermore, the results of our morphospatial analysis indicate that pyrosaurids are ecomorphologically diverse, with species exhibiting more putative terrestrial ecosystems or a more semi-aquatic habit, compared to other notothids and neoscidians. This indicates that the morphospace had a wide range of morphospace occupancy, including unexplored spaces.”
“Pepeschinae was widespread in Africa and South America during the Cretaceous period,” the researchers noted.
“This lineage is notable among the notothids in that it has a longer rostra, similar to common extant crocodilians. crocodile There's also a caiman. ”
“Pepeshushiinae have been recorded from strata where semi-aquatic Neosushiinae are absent or rare.”
“In Africa, Strochrosuchus occurred simultaneously with SarcosuchusOn the other hand, in the Bauru group of Brazil, which represents the greatest extreme of pepestinid diversity, only one putative neostinid has been described so far, a large predatory quadruped with a semi-aquatic habit. There are no other records. ”
“In this scenario, pepestinids would have occupied vacant freshwater systems in western Gondwana during the Late Cretaceous.”
team's paper Published on August 29th anatomical record.
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Juan V. Ruiz others. A new pyrosauridae (Crocodiformes, Notostia) from the Adamantina Formation (Late Cretaceous, Bauru Group). The phylogenetic analysis of Sevesia has been revised. anatomical recordspublished online on August 29, 2024. doi: 10.1002/ar.25559
Source: www.sci.news
