Notosuchia
Encyclopedia
Notosuchia is a suborder of primarily Gondwana
Gondwana
In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...

n 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....

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...

s that lived during the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...

. Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...

s have been found from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

, and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

. Notosuchia was a clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...

 of terrestrial crocodilians that evolved a range of feeding behaviours, including herbivory (Chimaerasuchus
Chimaerasuchus
Chimaerasuchus is an extinct genus of Chinese crocodyliform from the Early Cretaceous. The four teeth in the very tip of its short snout gave it a "bucktoothed" appearance. Due its multicusped teeth and marked heterodonty, it is believed to have been an herbivore....

), omnivory (Simosuchus
Simosuchus
Simosuchus is an extinct genus of notosuchian crocodylomorphs from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. It is named for its unusually short skull. Fully grown individuals were about in length. The type species is S. clarki, found from the Maevarano Formation in Mahajanga Province.The teeth of S...

), and terrestrial hypercarnivory (Baurusuchus
Baurusuchus
Baurusuchus is an extinct genus of baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil. It was a terrestrial predator and scavenger, about 3.5 to 4 meters long. Baurusuchus lived during the Turonian to Santonian stages of the Late Cretaceous Period, in Adamantina Formation, Brazil...

). It included many members with highly derived traits unusual for crocodylomorphs, including mammal-like teeth, flexible bands of shield-like body armor similar to those of armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...

s (Armadillosuchus
Armadillosuchus
Armadillosuchus is an extinct genus of sphagesaurid crocodylomorph. It was described in February 2009 from the Late Cretaceous Bauru Basin of Brazil. Sphagesaurids share a number of mammal-like features in their teeth and jaws, although they are unrelated to mammals...

), and possibly fleshy cheeks and pig-like snouts (Notosuchus
Notosuchus
Notosuchus is an extinct genus of South American notosuchian crocodylomorph. It was terrestrial, living approximately 85 million years ago in the Coniacian or Santonian stages of the Late Cretaceous. Remains have been found in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation in Patagonia, Argentina. First named in...

). The suborder was first named in 1971 by Zulma Gasparini and has since undergone many phylogenetic revisions.

Description

Notosuchians were generally small, with slender bodies and erect limbs. The most distinctive characteristics are usually seen in the skull. Notosuchian skulls are generally short and deep. While most are relatively narrow, some are very broad. Simosuchus
Simosuchus
Simosuchus is an extinct genus of notosuchian crocodylomorphs from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. It is named for its unusually short skull. Fully grown individuals were about in length. The type species is S. clarki, found from the Maevarano Formation in Mahajanga Province.The teeth of S...

has a broadened skull and jaw that resembles a pug
Pug
The pug is a "toy" breed of dog with a wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. The breed has a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, and a compact square body with well-developed muscle. They have been described as multum in parvo , referring to the pug's personality and...

, while Anatosuchus
Anatosuchus
Anatosuchus is an extinct genus of notosuchian crocodylomorph discovered in Gadoufaoua, Niger, and described by a team of palaeontologists led by the American Paul Sereno in 2003, in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology...

has a broad, flat snout like that of a duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...

.

The teeth vary greatly between different genera. Many have heterodont
Heterodont
The anatomical term heterodont refers to animals which possess more than a single tooth morphology. For example, members of the Synapsida generally possess incisors, canines , premolars, and molars. The presence of heterodont dentition is evidence of some degree of feeding/hunting specialization...

 dentitions that vary in shape across the jaw. Often, there are large canine-like teeth protruding from the front of the mouth and broader molar-like teeth in the back. Some genera, such as Yacarerani
Yacarerani
Yacarerani is an extinct genus of Late Cretaceous notosuchian crocodylomorph. Fossils have been found in 2002 from central Bolivia in Amboró National Park and are Turonian-Santonian in age. The genus was recently described in 2009 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology...

and Pakasuchus
Pakasuchus
Pakasuchus is a genus of notosuchian crocodyliform distinguished by its unusual mammal-like appearance, including mammal-like teeth that would have given the animal the ability to chew. It also had long, slender legs and a doglike nose. Pakasuchus lived approximately 105 million years ago, in the...

, have extremely mammal-like teeth. Their molars are complex and multicuspid, and are able to occlude
Occlusion
Occlusion may refer to:* Occlusion , the manner in which the upper and lower teeth come together when the mouth is closed* Occlusion effect, an audio phenomenon that occurs when one closes the opening into the ear canal and the loudness of low pitched sounds increases* Occlusion miliaria, a skin...

 or fit with one another. Some forms such as Malawisuchus
Malawisuchus
Malawisuchus is an extinct genus of notosuchian mesoeucrocodylian from the Early Cretaceous of Malawi. It was described in 1997 by Elizabeth Gomani as a member of the family Notosuchidae. The type species is M. mwakasyungutiensis, referring to Mwakasyunguti, the area of northern Malawi where it...

had jaw joints that enabled them to move the jaw back and forth in a shearing motion rather than just up and down.

A derived group of notosuchians, the baurusuchids, differ considerably from other forms. They are very large in comparison to other notosuchians and are exclusively carnivorous. Baurusuchids have deep skulls and prominent canine-like teeth.

Genera

The evolutionary interrelationships of Notosuchia are in flux, but the following genera are generally considered notosuchians:
Genus Age Location Unit | Notes | Images

Adamantinasuchus
Adamantinasuchus
Adamantinasuchus is an extinct genus of notosuchian crocodylomorph from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil.-Phylogeny:Below is a cladogram modified from O’Connor et al., 2010:...

Turonian
Turonian
The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 93.5 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.3 ± 1 Ma...

 - Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...


 Brazil

Adamantina Formation
Adamantina Formation
The Adamantina Formation is a geological formation in Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation...


A carnivore
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...

 with a very short, high skull and large eye sockets


Anatosuchus
Anatosuchus
Anatosuchus is an extinct genus of notosuchian crocodylomorph discovered in Gadoufaoua, Niger, and described by a team of palaeontologists led by the American Paul Sereno in 2003, in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology...

Aptian
Aptian
The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch or series and encompasses the time from 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma , approximately...

 - Albian
Albian
The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch/series. Its approximate time range is 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 99.6 ± 0.9 Ma...


 Niger

Tegama Group

A small notosuchian under 1 metres (3.3 ft) long with a duck-like snout


Araripesuchus
Araripesuchus
Araripesuchus is a genus of extinct crocodyliform whose species existed during the Cretaceous period of the late Mesozoic era some 125 to 65 million years ago. They are generally considered to be notosuchians , characterized by their varied teeth types and distinct skull elements...

Albian
Albian
The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch/series. Its approximate time range is 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 99.6 ± 0.9 Ma...

 - Maastrichtian
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...


 Madagascar

 Niger

 Brazil

 Argentina

Maevarano Formation
Maevarano Formation
The Maevarano Formation is an Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rock formation found in the Mahajanga Province of northwestern Madagascar. It is most likely Maastrichtian in age, and records a seasonal, semiarid environment with rivers that had greatly varying discharges...



Echkar Formation

Santana Formation
Santana Formation
The Santana Formation is a geologic Lagerstätte in northeastern Brazil's Araripe Basin where the states of Pernambuco, Piauí and Ceará come together. The geological formation, named after the village of Santana do Cariri, lies at the base of the Araripe Plateau...



Candeleros Formation
Candeleros Formation
The Candeleros Formation is a geologic formation that outcrops in Río Negro, Neuquén, and Mendoza provinces of Argentina. It is the oldest formation in the Neuquén Group and belongs to the Rio Limay Subgroup...


Five species are known, the most of any notosuchian

Armadillosuchus
Armadillosuchus
Armadillosuchus is an extinct genus of sphagesaurid crocodylomorph. It was described in February 2009 from the Late Cretaceous Bauru Basin of Brazil. Sphagesaurids share a number of mammal-like features in their teeth and jaws, although they are unrelated to mammals...

Turonian
Turonian
The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 93.5 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.3 ± 1 Ma...

 - Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...


 Brazil

Adamantina Formation
Adamantina Formation
The Adamantina Formation is a geological formation in Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation...

A sphagesaurid with armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...

-like armor shields.

Baurusuchus
Baurusuchus
Baurusuchus is an extinct genus of baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil. It was a terrestrial predator and scavenger, about 3.5 to 4 meters long. Baurusuchus lived during the Turonian to Santonian stages of the Late Cretaceous Period, in Adamantina Formation, Brazil...

Turonian
Turonian
The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 93.5 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.3 ± 1 Ma...


 Brazil

Adamantina Formation
Adamantina Formation
The Adamantina Formation is a geological formation in Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation...


A large hypercarnivore
Hypercarnivore
A hypercarnivore is an animal which has a diet that is more than 70% meat, with the balance consisting of non-animal foods such as fungi, fruits or other plant material. Some examples include the big cats, dolphins, eagles, snakes, marlin, most sharks, and such invertebrates as octopuses and sea...

 3.5 to 4 m (11.5 to 13.1 ft) in length

Caipirasuchus
Caipirasuchus
Caipirasuchus is an extinct genus of sphagesaurid notosuchian known from the Late Cretaceous of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil.-Discovery:...

Turonian – Santonian
 Brazil

Adamantina Formation
Adamantina Formation
The Adamantina Formation is a geological formation in Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation...


Campinasuchus
Campinasuchus
Campinasuchus is an extinct genus of baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian which existed in the Minas Gerais State, Brazil during the late Cretaceous period . It is known from four partial skulls from the Honorópolis District of the Adamantina Formation, Bauru Basin. The specimens were collected at Três...

Turonian – Santonian
 Brazil

Adamantina Formation
Adamantina Formation
The Adamantina Formation is a geological formation in Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation...


Candidodon
Candidodon
Candidodon is an extinct genus of notosuchian mesoeucrocodylian. Fossils have been found of Early Cretaceous age from Brazil. The genus is characterized by a particularly elongate pair of choanae in its palate. It has been named the type genus of the family Candidodontidae, first constructed in 2004...

Albian
 Brazil

Itapecuru Formation
Itapecuru Formation
The Itapecuru Formation is a geological formation in Brazil whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.-Vertebrate paleofauna:* Theropod indet* Theropod tracks...


Chimaerasuchus
Chimaerasuchus
Chimaerasuchus is an extinct genus of Chinese crocodyliform from the Early Cretaceous. The four teeth in the very tip of its short snout gave it a "bucktoothed" appearance. Due its multicusped teeth and marked heterodonty, it is believed to have been an herbivore....

Aptian
Aptian
The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch or series and encompasses the time from 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma , approximately...

 - Albian
Albian
The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch/series. Its approximate time range is 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 99.6 ± 0.9 Ma...


 Mainland China

Wulong Formation

The first notosuchian found with heterodont
Heterodont
The anatomical term heterodont refers to animals which possess more than a single tooth morphology. For example, members of the Synapsida generally possess incisors, canines , premolars, and molars. The presence of heterodont dentition is evidence of some degree of feeding/hunting specialization...

 teeth, thought to be a herbivore
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...


Comahuesuchus
Comahuesuchus
Comahuesuchus is an extinct genus of notosuchian crocodylomorph from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina. It was described by palaeontologist José Bonaparte in 1991.The type species is C. brachybuccalis.- Material :...

Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...


 Argentina

Bajo de la Carpa Formation
Bajo de la Carpa Formation
The Bajo de la Carpa Formation is a geologic formation that outcrops in Patagonia, in the provinces of Río Negro and Neuquén, Argentina. It is the first of two formations belonging to the Río Colorado Subgroup within the Neuquén Group...


Cynodontosuchus
Cynodontosuchus
Cynodontosuchus is an extinct genus of baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian. Fossils have been found from Argentina of Late Cretaceous age from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation as well as the Pichi Picun Leufu Formation...

Coniacian – Santonian
 Argentina

Bajo de la Carpa Formation
Bajo de la Carpa Formation
The Bajo de la Carpa Formation is a geologic formation that outcrops in Patagonia, in the provinces of Río Negro and Neuquén, Argentina. It is the first of two formations belonging to the Río Colorado Subgroup within the Neuquén Group...



Pichi Picun Leufu Formation

Malawisuchus
Malawisuchus
Malawisuchus is an extinct genus of notosuchian mesoeucrocodylian from the Early Cretaceous of Malawi. It was described in 1997 by Elizabeth Gomani as a member of the family Notosuchidae. The type species is M. mwakasyungutiensis, referring to Mwakasyunguti, the area of northern Malawi where it...

Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...


 Malawi

A possible burrower that could move its jaw back and forth while eating

Mariliasuchus
Mariliasuchus
Mariliasuchus is an extinct genus of Late Cretaceous notosuchian mesoeucrocodylian found near Marilia, Brazil. It was described in 1999 by Brazilian palaeontologists Ismar de Souza Carvalho and Reinaldo J. Bertini....

Campanian
Campanian
The Campanian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch . The Campanian spans the time from 83.5 ± 0.7 Ma to 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma ...

 - Maastrichtian
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...


 Brazil

Adamantina Formation
Adamantina Formation
The Adamantina Formation is a geological formation in Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation...


Morrinhosuchus
Morrinhosuchus
Morrinhosuchus is an extinct genus of notosuchian crocodyliform from the Late Cretaceous Adamantina Formation of Brazil. It is known from a mandible and a portion of the front of the skull collected from the municipality of Monte Alto in São Paulo state...

Turonian
Turonian
The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 93.5 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.3 ± 1 Ma...

 - Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...


 Brazil

Adamantina Formation
Adamantina Formation
The Adamantina Formation is a geological formation in Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation...


Notosuchus
Notosuchus
Notosuchus is an extinct genus of South American notosuchian crocodylomorph. It was terrestrial, living approximately 85 million years ago in the Coniacian or Santonian stages of the Late Cretaceous. Remains have been found in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation in Patagonia, Argentina. First named in...

Coniacian
Coniacian
The Coniacian is an age or stage in the geologic timescale. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series and spans the time between 89.3 ± 1 Ma and 85.8 ± 0.7 Ma...

 - Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...


 Argentina

Bajo de la Carpa Formation
Bajo de la Carpa Formation
The Bajo de la Carpa Formation is a geologic formation that outcrops in Patagonia, in the provinces of Río Negro and Neuquén, Argentina. It is the first of two formations belonging to the Río Colorado Subgroup within the Neuquén Group...


A notosuchian that may have had a pig-like snout

Pakasuchus
Pakasuchus
Pakasuchus is a genus of notosuchian crocodyliform distinguished by its unusual mammal-like appearance, including mammal-like teeth that would have given the animal the ability to chew. It also had long, slender legs and a doglike nose. Pakasuchus lived approximately 105 million years ago, in the...

Albian
Albian
The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch/series. Its approximate time range is 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 99.6 ± 0.9 Ma...


 Tanzania
A notosuchian with very complex, mammal-like heterodont teeth.

Pissarrachampsa
Pissarrachampsa
Pissarrachampsa is an extinct genus of baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil...

Campanian – Maastrichtian
 Brazil

Vale do Rio do Peixe Formation

Simosuchus
Simosuchus
Simosuchus is an extinct genus of notosuchian crocodylomorphs from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. It is named for its unusually short skull. Fully grown individuals were about in length. The type species is S. clarki, found from the Maevarano Formation in Mahajanga Province.The teeth of S...

Maastrichtian
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...


 Madagascar
A broad-snouted omnivore
Omnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...

 with clove-shaped teeth

Sphagesaurus
Sphagesaurus
Sphagesaurus is an extinct genus of notosuchian crocodylomorph from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil.-Species and discovery:The type species S. huenei, was discovered in 1950 by Price, with the both the genus and species named from two isolated teeth. More recently a nearly complete skull of S...

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...


 Brazil

Adamantina Formation
Adamantina Formation
The Adamantina Formation is a geological formation in Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation...


An omnivorous notosuchian

Stratiotosuchus
Stratiotosuchus
Stratiotosuchus is an extinct genus of baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian which existed in the Adamantina Formation, Brazil during the late Cretaceous period . It was first named by Campos, D.A., Suarez, J.M., Riff, D. and Kellner, A.W.A. in 2001 and the type species is Stratiotosuchus maxhechti...

Turonian – Santonian
 Brazil

Adamantina Formation
Adamantina Formation
The Adamantina Formation is a geological formation in Brazil whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation...


Uruguaysuchus
Uruguaysuchus
Uruguaysuchus is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph from the Late Cretaceous of Uruguay. It was related to Simosuchus and Malawisuchus.-Sources:* A Pictorial Guide to Fossils by Gerard Ramon Case...

Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...

 - Campanian
Campanian
The Campanian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch . The Campanian spans the time from 83.5 ± 0.7 Ma to 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma ...


 Uruguay

Wargosuchus
Wargosuchus
Wargosuchus is an extinct genus of baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian from the Late Cretaceous of Argentina...

Santonian
 Argentina

Bajo de la Carpa Formation
Bajo de la Carpa Formation
The Bajo de la Carpa Formation is a geologic formation that outcrops in Patagonia, in the provinces of Río Negro and Neuquén, Argentina. It is the first of two formations belonging to the Río Colorado Subgroup within the Neuquén Group...


Yacarerani
Yacarerani
Yacarerani is an extinct genus of Late Cretaceous notosuchian crocodylomorph. Fossils have been found in 2002 from central Bolivia in Amboró National Park and are Turonian-Santonian in age. The genus was recently described in 2009 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology...

Turonian
Turonian
The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 93.5 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.3 ± 1 Ma...

 - Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...


 Bolivia
A notosuchian with rabbit-like incisors found in association with a probable nest

Phylogeny


Ortega et al., 2000



Pol, 2003



Larsson and Sues, 2007

The clade Notosuchia has undergone many recent phylogenetic revisions. In 2000, Notosuchia was proposed to be one of two groups within the clade Ziphosuchia
Ziphosuchia
Ziphosuchia is a clade of mesoeucrocodylian crocodyliforms that includes notosuchians and sebecosuchians. First constructed in 2000, it was considered to include Notosuchus, Libycosuchus, and Sebecosuchia...

, the other being Sebecosuchia
Sebecosuchia
Sebecosuchia is an extinct group of mesoeucrocodylian crocodyliforms that includes the families Sebecidae and Baurusuchidae. The group first appeared in the Late Cretaceous with the baurusuchids and went extinct in the Miocene with the last sebecids. Fossils have been found primarily from South...

, which included deep snouted forms such as baurusuchids and sebecids. The definition of Notosuchia by Sereno et al. (2001) is similar to that of Ziphosuchia as it includes within it Sebecosuchia. Pol (2003) also includes Sebecosuchia within Notosuchia. More recently, a phylogenetic analysis by Larsson and Sues (2007) resulted in the naming of a new clade, Sebecia
Sebecia
Sebecia is an extinct clade of mesoeucrocodylian crocodyliforms that includes peirosaurids and sebecids. It was first constructed in 2007 to include Hamadasuchus, Peirosauridae, and Sebecus. It was initially considered to be the sister taxon of the clade Neosuchia, which includes living...

, to include sebecids and peirosaurids
Peirosauridae
Peirosauridae is a Gondwanan family of mesoeucrocodylians that lived during the Cretaceous period. It was a clade of terrestrial crocodyliforms that evolved a rather dog-like form, and were terrestrial carnivores. It was phylogenetically defined in 2004 as the most recent common ancestor of...

. Baurusuchidae was considered to be polyphyletic in this study, with Pabwehshi
Pabwehshi
Pabwehshi is an extinct genus of mesoeucrocodylian. It is based on GSP-UM 2000, a partial snout and corresponding lower jaw elements, with another snout assigned to it...

being a basal member of Sebecia and Baurusuchus
Baurusuchus
Baurusuchus is an extinct genus of baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil. It was a terrestrial predator and scavenger, about 3.5 to 4 meters long. Baurusuchus lived during the Turonian to Santonian stages of the Late Cretaceous Period, in Adamantina Formation, Brazil...

being the sister taxon to the clade containing Neosuchia
Neosuchia
Neosuchia is an unranked clade within Mesoeucrocodylia that includes all modern extant crocodilians and their closest fossil relatives. It is defined as the most inclusive clade containing all crocodylomorphs more closely related to Crocodylus niloticus than to Notosuchus terrestris...

 and Sebecia. Thus, Sebecosuchia was no longer within Notosuchia and not considered to be a true clade, while Notosuchia was found to be a basal clade of Metasuchia.

The following cladogram
Cladogram
A cladogram is a diagram used in cladistics which shows ancestral relations between organisms, to represent the evolutionary tree of life. Although traditionally such cladograms were generated largely on the basis of morphological characters, DNA and RNA sequencing data and computational...

 simplified after an analysis of derived notosuchians presented by Fabiano V. Iori and Ismar S. Carvalho in 2011.
The following cladogram simplified after a comprehensive analysis of notosuchians which focused on Simosuchus clarki presented by Alan H. Turner and Joseph J. W. Sertich in 2010.
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