Maroccosuchus Temporal range:
Early Eocene,
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
Clade: | Archosauriformes |
Order: | Crocodilia |
Superfamily: | Gavialoidea |
Genus: | †
Maroccosuchus Jonet & Wouters, 1977 |
Type species | |
†Maroccosuchus zennaroi Jonet & Wouters, 1977
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Maroccosuchus zennaroi is an extinct gavialoid crocodylian from the Early Eocene of Morocco, traditionally regarded as a member of the subfamily Tomistominae. [2] [3]
Below is a cladogram based on morphological studies comparing skeletal features that shows Maroccosuchus as a member of Tomistominae, related to the false gharial: [4]
Crocodylidae |
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Based on morphological studies of extinct taxa, the tomistomines were long thought to be classified as crocodiles and not closely related to gavialoids. [5] However, recent molecular studies using DNA sequencing have consistently indicated that the false gharial (Tomistoma) (and by inference other related extinct forms in Tomistominae) actually belong to Gavialoidea (and Gavialidae). [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Below is a cladogram from a 2018 tip dating study by Lee & Yates simultaneously using morphological, molecular ( DNA sequencing), and stratigraphic ( fossil age) data that shows Maroccosuchus as an early-diverging gavialoid, more basal than the last common ancestor to both the gharial and the false gharial: [11]
Gavialoidea |
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( total group) |
Maroccosuchus Temporal range:
Early Eocene,
| |
---|---|
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
Clade: | Archosauriformes |
Order: | Crocodilia |
Superfamily: | Gavialoidea |
Genus: | †
Maroccosuchus Jonet & Wouters, 1977 |
Type species | |
†Maroccosuchus zennaroi Jonet & Wouters, 1977
|
Maroccosuchus zennaroi is an extinct gavialoid crocodylian from the Early Eocene of Morocco, traditionally regarded as a member of the subfamily Tomistominae. [2] [3]
Below is a cladogram based on morphological studies comparing skeletal features that shows Maroccosuchus as a member of Tomistominae, related to the false gharial: [4]
Crocodylidae |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Based on morphological studies of extinct taxa, the tomistomines were long thought to be classified as crocodiles and not closely related to gavialoids. [5] However, recent molecular studies using DNA sequencing have consistently indicated that the false gharial (Tomistoma) (and by inference other related extinct forms in Tomistominae) actually belong to Gavialoidea (and Gavialidae). [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Below is a cladogram from a 2018 tip dating study by Lee & Yates simultaneously using morphological, molecular ( DNA sequencing), and stratigraphic ( fossil age) data that shows Maroccosuchus as an early-diverging gavialoid, more basal than the last common ancestor to both the gharial and the false gharial: [11]
Gavialoidea |
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( total group) |