Aristosuchus

Name: Aristosuchus ‭(‬Brave crocodile‭)‬.
Phonetic: A-riss-toe-soo-kus.
Named By: Harry Govier Seeley‭ ‬-‭ ‬1887.
Synonyms: Poekilopleuron pusillus,‭ ‬Poekilopleuron minor.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Coelurosauria,‭ ‬Compsognathidae.
Species: A.‭ ‬pusillus‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Unknown.
Known locations: England,‭ ‬Isle of Wight.
Time period: Early Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Femur,‭ ‬sacrum,‭ ‬pubis and some vertebrae.

       In‭ ‬1876‭ ‬Richard‭ ‬Owen‭ ‬named a new species of Poekilopleuron called P.‭ ‬pusillus.‭ ‬In‭ ‬1879‭ ‬this species was adjusted to P.‭ ‬minor by Edward Drinker Cope.‭ ‬Then in‭ ‬1887‭ ‬Harry Govier Seeley renamed this species as a new distinct genus,‭ ‬Aristosuchus.‭ ‬However,‭ ‬despite the name‭ ‘‬suchus‭’ ‬which is Ancient Greek for crocodile,‭ ‬this creature was actually a dinosaur.‭ ‬Although the incomplete remains make it difficult to reconstruct this dinosaur,‭ ‬it seems to have been a small compsognathid similar to Compsognathus.

Further reading
- On Aristosuchus pusillus (Owen), being further notes on the fossils described by Sir R. Owen as Poikilopleuron pusillus, Owen. - Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London. 43: 221–228. - H. G. Seeley - 1887.
- Fox, Owen and the small Wealden theropods Calamospondylus and Aristosuchus. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 19 (Suppl. 3), 66. - D. Naish - 1999.
- The historical taxonomy of the Lower Cretaceous theropods (Dinosauria) Calamospondylus and Aristosuchus from the Isle of Wight. - Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association 113: 153–163. - D. Naish - 2002.

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