Junggarsuchus

Junggarsuchus is an extinct genus of sphenosuchian crocodylomorph from the Middle Jurassic of China. The type species is J. sloani.[1][2]

Junggarsuchus
Temporal range: Middle Jurassic
Life restoration of Junggarsuchus sloani
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Superorder: Crocodylomorpha
Clade: Crocodyliformes
Genus: Junggarsuchus
Clark et al., 2004
Type species
Junggarsuchus sloani
Clark et al., 2004

Discovery

Junggarsuchus was discovered in the Shishugou Formation in Xinjiang, China.

Description

Although the skull of Junggarsuchus shares many characteristics with those of modern crocodilians, it is morphologically intermediate between sphenosuchians and mesoeucrocodylians. As in other sphenosuchians, the limbs of Junggarsuchus were adapted to terrestrial locomotion (movement on land), rather than semi-aquatic locomotion seen in living crocodilians. These adaptations include: a vertically orientated upper arm bone, ball-and-socket shoulder joint, and a functionally tridactyl (three-fingered) hand.[1]

References

  1. Clark, James M.; Xing Xu; Forster, Catherine A.; Yuan Wang (2004). "A Middle Jurassic 'sphenosuchian' from China and the origin of the crocodylian skull" (PDF). Nature. 430 (7003): 1021–1024. Bibcode:2004Natur.430.1021C. doi:10.1038/nature02802. PMID 15329719. S2CID 4420246.
  2. Ruebenstahl, Alexander A.; Klein, Michael D.; Yi, Hongyu; Xu, Xing; Clark, James M. (October 2022). "Anatomy and relationships of the early diverging Crocodylomorphs Junggarsuchus sloani and Dibothrosuchus elaphros". The Anatomical Record. 305 (10): 2463–2556. doi:10.1002/ar.24949. ISSN 1932-8486. PMC 9541040. PMID 35699105.


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