Ticinosuchus

Ticinosuchus
Temporal range: Middle Triassic, Anisian–Ladinian
Holotype of Ticinosuchus ferox
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Clade: Suchia
Genus: †Ticinosuchus
Krebs, 1965
Species:
†T. ferox
Binomial name
†Ticinosuchus ferox
Krebs, 1965
Life restoration
Cheirotherium tracefossil, which might have been made by Ticinosuchus, displayed in Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Ticinosuchus is an extinct genus of suchian archosaur from the Middle Triassic (Anisian - Ladinian) of Switzerland and Italy.[1]

Description[edit]

One of only a handful of fossil reptiles that have been found in Switzerland, Ticinosuchus (meaning "Ticino crocodile" due to its origin from the Swiss canton Ticino) was about 3 metres (10 ft) long, and its whole body, even the belly, was covered in thick, armoured scutes. These scutes were sometimes considered to have been staggered, alternating between several rows.[2] However, some studies refute this claim, instead purporting that the scutes were aligned in neat rows, with a one-to-one assignment of scutes to vertebrae.[3] The structure of the hips shows that its legs were placed under the body almost vertically. Coupled with the development of a calcaneus and a specialized ankle joint, this would have made Ticinosuchus a fast runner, unlike most earlier reptiles.[4] Ticinosuchus is thought to be very close to or possible even the same species that made the Cheirotherium trace fossils found in Germany. It too shows a narrow track-way, similar to that of Ticinosuchus. It is one of the most famous fossils of Besano.[5]

The broken skull of the holotype

Fish scales have been preserved in the abdomen of the specimen. This was likely indicative of a piscivorous diet.[6] Ticinosuchus shares many similarities with paracrocodylomorphs, such as certain adaptations of the ischium[1] and possibly (but not certainly) hyposphene-hypantrum articulations.[7][8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Sterling J. Nesbitt (2011). "The Early Evolution of Archosaurs: Relationships and the Origin of Major Clades". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 352: 1–292. doi:10.1206/352.1. hdl:2246/6112. S2CID 83493714.
  2. ^ Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Sidor, Christian A.; Angielczyk, Kenneth D.; Smith, Roger M. H.; Tsuji, Linda A. (2014-09-19). "A new archosaur from the Manda beds (Anisian, Middle Triassic) of southern Tanzania and its implications for character state optimizations at Archosauria and Pseudosuchia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (6): 1357–1382. Bibcode:2014JVPal..34.1357N. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.859622. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 129558756.
  3. ^ Ezcurra, Martín D. (2016-04-28). "The phylogenetic relationships of basal archosauromorphs, with an emphasis on the systematics of proterosuchian archosauriforms". PeerJ. 4: e1778. doi:10.7717/peerj.1778. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 4860341. PMID 27162705.
  4. ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-84028-152-1.
  5. ^ "Ticinosuco (Ticinosuchus)".
  6. ^ Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Brusatte, Stephen L.; Desojo, Julia B.; Liparini, Alexandre; França, Marco A. G. De; Weinbaum, Jonathan C.; Gower, David J. (2013-01-01). "Rauisuchia" (PDF). Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 379 (1): 241–274. Bibcode:2013GSLSP.379..241N. doi:10.1144/SP379.1. ISSN 0305-8719. S2CID 219193351.
  7. ^ Lautenschlager, Stephan; Desojo, Julia Brenda (2011-04-13). "Reassessment of the Middle Triassic rauisuchian archosaurs Ticinosuchus ferox and Stagonosuchus nyassicus". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 85 (4): 357–381. Bibcode:2011PalZ...85..357L. doi:10.1007/s12542-011-0105-1. hdl:11336/68929. ISSN 0031-0220. S2CID 86671911.
  8. ^ Stefanic, Candice M.; Nesbitt, Sterling J. (2018-02-14). "The axial skeleton of Poposaurus langstoni (Pseudosuchia: Poposauroidea) and its implications for accessory intervertebral articulation evolution in pseudosuchian archosaurs". PeerJ. 6: e4235. doi:10.7717/peerj.4235. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 5816584. PMID 29472991.
  • Krebs, B. (1965). Ticinosuchus ferox nov. gen. nov. sp. Ein neuer Pseudosuchier aus der Trias des Monte San Giorgio. Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologie und Paläontology, Abhandlungen 81: 1–140.
  • Sill, W.D. (1974). The anatomy of Saurosuchus galilei and the relationships of the rauisuchid thecodonts. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 146: 317–362.
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