Stomatosuchus

Stomatosuchus
Temporal range: 100–94 Ma

Cenomanian

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Crocodylomorpha
Family: †Stomatosuchidae
Genus: †Stomatosuchus
Stromer, 1925
Type species
†Stomatosuchus inermis
Stromer, 1925
Comparison of Stomatosuchus (center) with Laganosuchus (bottom)

Stomatosuchus inermis ("Weaponless mouth crocodile") was a 10 metres (33 ft) long stomatosuchid neosuchian from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Egypt. Unlike most other crocodyliforms, it is difficult to determine exactly what S. inermis ate. Its flattened skull had a long, flat, lid-like snout, which was lined with small, conical teeth. The mandible may have been toothless and may have supported a pelican-like throat pouch.[1]

The only known specimen, a large skull, which was collected in German paleontologist Ernst Stromer's Egyptian expedition, was obliterated when the Munich Museum was destroyed during an Allied bombing raid in 1944.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ Naish, D. 2002. Fossils explained 34: Crocodilians. Geology Today 2: 71-77.
  2. ↑ Stromer, E. (1925) Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen Prof. E. Stromers in den Wüsten Ägyptens. II. Wirbeltier-Reste der Baharije-Stufe (unterstes Cenoman). 7. Stomatosuchus inermis Stromer, ein schwach bezahnter Krokodilier und 8. Ein Skelettrest des Pristiden Onchopristis numidus Huag sp. Abhandlungen der Königlich Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-Physikalische Klasse 30: 1–22.
  3. ↑ Sereno, P. C.; Larsson, H. C. E. (2009). "Cretaceous crocodyliforms from the Sahara". ZooKeys. 28 (2009): 1–143. doi:10.3897/zookeys.28.325.
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