Procaimanoidea Temporal range:
Eocene,
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Fossil specimen of P. utahensis | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
Clade: | Archosauriformes |
Order: | Crocodilia |
Family: | Alligatoridae |
Subfamily: | Alligatorinae |
Genus: | †
Procaimanoidea Gilmore, 1946 |
Species | |
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Procaimanoidea ("Before Caiman-forms") is an extinct genus of alligatorid from the Eocene of North America. It was named posthumously in 1946 by Charles W. Gilmore; the type species is P. utahensis, from the Uintan (middle Eocene) of Utah. It is based on USNM 15996, a nearly complete skull and partial left hind leg. [2] A second species, P. kayi, was named in 1941 by C.C. Mook as a species of Hassiacosuchus, for remains from the Bridgerian (early Eocene) of Wyoming. [3] It was reassigned to Procaimanoidea in 1967 by Wassersug and Hecht. [4]
Procaimanoidea was a small alligatorid, and slightly heterodont, the last four teeth on each side of the jaws having blunt tips. [2]
Recent studies have consistently resolved Procaimanoidea as a member of Alligatorinae, although its relative placement is disputed, as shown by the cladograms below. [5] [6] [7]
Cladogram from 2018 Bona et al. study: [5]
Alligatorinae |
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Cladogram from 2019 Massonne et al. study: [6]
Alligatorinae |
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Cladogram from 2020 Cossette & Brochu study: [7]
Alligatorinae |
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Procaimanoidea Temporal range:
Eocene,
| |
---|---|
Fossil specimen of P. utahensis | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
Clade: | Archosauriformes |
Order: | Crocodilia |
Family: | Alligatoridae |
Subfamily: | Alligatorinae |
Genus: | †
Procaimanoidea Gilmore, 1946 |
Species | |
|
Procaimanoidea ("Before Caiman-forms") is an extinct genus of alligatorid from the Eocene of North America. It was named posthumously in 1946 by Charles W. Gilmore; the type species is P. utahensis, from the Uintan (middle Eocene) of Utah. It is based on USNM 15996, a nearly complete skull and partial left hind leg. [2] A second species, P. kayi, was named in 1941 by C.C. Mook as a species of Hassiacosuchus, for remains from the Bridgerian (early Eocene) of Wyoming. [3] It was reassigned to Procaimanoidea in 1967 by Wassersug and Hecht. [4]
Procaimanoidea was a small alligatorid, and slightly heterodont, the last four teeth on each side of the jaws having blunt tips. [2]
Recent studies have consistently resolved Procaimanoidea as a member of Alligatorinae, although its relative placement is disputed, as shown by the cladograms below. [5] [6] [7]
Cladogram from 2018 Bona et al. study: [5]
Alligatorinae |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cladogram from 2019 Massonne et al. study: [6]
Alligatorinae |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cladogram from 2020 Cossette & Brochu study: [7]
Alligatorinae |
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