Name:
Barreirosuchus
(Barreiro crocodile).
Phonetic: Bar-re-i-ro-soo-kus.
Named By: Fabiano Vidoi Iori & Karina
Lucia Garcia - 2012.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia,
Crocodylomorpha, Notosuchia, Trematochampsidae.
Species: B. franciscoi
(type).
Diet: Carnivore/Pisicvore?
Size: Body estimated about 4 meters long,
complete skull estimated about 50 centimetres long.
Known locations: Brazil - Adamantina Formation.
Time period: Turonian/Santonian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Posterior (rear) portion
of the skull, six teeth, two dorsal (back) vertebrae and two
sacral (hip) vertebrae.
Although
only described from very incomplete remains, a number of things can
be inferred about Barreirosuchus. Comparison to
other notosuchian
genera indicates that in life Barreirosuchus may
have been up to four
meters long. The discovery of a nearby turtle rib is also taken as an
indication that Barreirosuchus was at least
semi-aquatic. This is
further supported by the observation that the eyes would have been very
high up on the skull, something which means that when in the water,
Barreirosuchus could have lurked just below the
surface with only the
eyes visible above it.
Barreirosuchus
has been considered to be very similar to the genera Caririsuchus
and
Itasuchus.
Other notosuchians known from the Adamantina Formation
that Barreirosuchus may have come into contact with
include
Mariliasuchus,
Armadillosuchus,
Morrinhosuchus
and Adamantinasuchus.
Further reading
Barreirosuchus franciscoi, um novo Crocodylomorpha
Trematochampsidae
da Bacia Bauru, Brasil - Fabiano Vidoi Iori & Karina
Lucia
Garcia - 2012.