Junggarsuchus is an extinct genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of sphenosuchia

Sphenosuchia

Sphenosuchia is a suborder of basal crocodylomorphs that first appeared in the Triassic and occurred into the Late Jurassic. Most were small, gracile animals with an erect limb posture. They are now thought to be ancestral to crocodyliforms, which include all living crocodilians.-Stratigraphic...

n crocodylomorph

Crocodylomorpha

The Crocodylomorpha are an important group of archosaurs that include the crocodilians and their extinct relatives.During Mesozoic and early Tertiary times the Crocodylomorpha were far more diverse than they are now. Triassic forms were small, lightly built, active terrestrial animals. These were...

 from the Middle Jurassic

Middle Jurassic

The Middle Jurassic is the second epoch of the Jurassic Period. It lasted from 176-161 million years ago. In European lithostratigraphy, rocks of this Middle Jurassic age are called the Dogger....

 of China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. The 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 J. sloani.

Anatomy

Although the skull of Junggarsuchus shares many characteristics with those of modern crocodilians, it is morphologically intermediate between sphenosuchians and mesoeucrocodylia

Mesoeucrocodylia

Mesoeucrocodylia is the name of the clade that includes Eusuchia and the paraphyletic group Mesosuchia. The group appeared during the Early Jurassic, and continues to the present day....

ns. As in other sphenosuchians, the limbs of Junggarsuchus were adapted to terrestrial locomotion(basically movement on land), rather than semi-aquatic locomotion seen in living crocodilians. These adaptations include: a vertically orientated upper arm bone

Humerus

The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....

, ball-and-socket shoulder joint, and a functionally tridactyl (three-fingered) hand.

External links

• In Crocodile Evolution, the Bite Came Before the Body (article at National Geographic)