Gobiosuchus
Encyclopedia
Gobiosuchus was a gobiosuchid
crocodyliform
described in 1972 by Polish palaeontologist Halszka Osmólska
. It hails from the Late Cretaceous
(Early Campanian) of Bayn Dzak (Djadokhta Formation), in the Gobi Desert
of Mongolia
.
Its type species
is G. kielanae.
, belongs to the family Gobiosuchidae.
Gobiosuchidae
Gobiosuchidae is a family of Late Cretaceous crocodyliforms that lived in what is now the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.- Genera :The two genera currently classified within Gobiosuchidae are Gobiosuchus and Zaraasuchus.- Synapomorphies :...
crocodyliform
Crocodyliformes
Crocodyliformes is a clade of crurotarsan archosaurs, the group often traditionally referred to as "crocodilians."In 1988, Michael J. Benton and James M. Clark argued that all traditional names for well-known groups of animals should be restricted to their crown clades, that is, used only for...
described in 1972 by Polish palaeontologist Halszka Osmólska
Halszka Osmólska
Halszka Osmólska was a Polish paleontologist who had specialized in Mongolian dinosaurs.She was born in Poznań. A member of the 1965 and 1970 Polish–Mongolian expeditions to the Gobi Desert, she described many finds from these rocks, often with Teresa Maryańska...
. It hails from the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
(Early Campanian) of Bayn Dzak (Djadokhta Formation), in the Gobi Desert
Gobi Desert
The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
of Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
.
Its type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
is G. kielanae.
Systematics
Gobiosuchus kielanae, along with Zaraasuchus shepardiZaraasuchus
Zaraasuchus was a gobiosuchid crocodyliform described in 2004 by Diego Pol and Mark Norell. It was found in the Red Beds of Zos Canyon, in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, thus making it Late Cretaceous in age....
, belongs to the family Gobiosuchidae.