Baurusuchus: Research Database
Baurusuchidae (Mesoeucrocodylia) · Late Cretaceous (~90–83 MYA) · South America — Brazil (Bauru Basin, Uberaba Formation)
Research Note: Baurusuchus was a baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil. As one of the few known terrestrial notosuchians — crocodile-line archosaurs that were fully adapted for life on land — it provides critical data on the diversity of Cretaceous South American archosaur morphotypes and the ecological niches occupied by non-dinosaurian archosaurs in Gondwanan ecosystems.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
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Nascimento & Zaher 2010: Baurusuchus and the diversity of mesoeucrocodylians in the Late Cretaceous of Brazil
Nascimento & Zaher 2010 provide comprehensive anatomical and systematic data on Baurusuchus from the Late Cretaceous Bauru Basin of Brazil, establishing it as a baurusuchid mesoeucrocodylian and documenting its significance for understanding the diversity of non-crocodilian crocodylomorphs in Cretaceous South America
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Confirmed | A | 2010 | Fossil | Nascimento & Zaher, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia | Taxonomy |
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Nobre et al. 2008: Baurusuchus and the paleobiology of terrestrial notosuchians in the Cretaceous of Gondwana
Nobre et al. 2008 provide additional data on Baurusuchus and the ecology of terrestrial notosuchian crocodylomorphs from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil, establishing it as a fully terrestrial apex predator and documenting its significance for understanding the ecological roles of non-dinosaurian archosaurs in Cretaceous South America
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Confirmed | A | 2008 | Fossil | Nobre et al., Gondwana Research | Ecology |
Active Debate: Terrestrial Crocodylomorphs, Notosuchian Diversity, and Cretaceous South American Ecosystems
Whether baurusuchids like Baurusuchus were active terrestrial predators capable of competing with theropod dinosaurs, or whether they occupied a distinct ecological niche separate from dinosaurs, is debated. Their upright posture, lightweight build, and lack of the heavy armor seen in modern crocodiles all support a fully terrestrial lifestyle. Some researchers argue they were apex predators in their own right, feeding on the abundant small dinosaurs and mammals in Cretaceous Brazil. Others suggest they may have been scavengers or specialized feeders on smaller prey, avoiding direct competition with large theropods.
The relationships of baurusuchids within Crocodylomorpha are also debated. Some researchers place them within Notosuchia (the group of terrestrial crocodylomorphs), while others argue they represent a separate radiation of fully terrestrial archosaurs outside the traditional notosuchian clade. Their discovery has fundamentally challenged the view that crocodylomorphs were ecologically uniform through their evolutionary history, revealing that the group experimented with a wide range of body plans and ecological strategies in the Mesozoic.
What We Still Do Not Know About Baurusuchus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Body mass: Estimated.
- Diet: Likely carnivorous; specific prey debated.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
In Depth
Beibeilong is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the earlier stages of the late Cretaceous. The genus was described from fossilised embryos and eggs. Adult details including maximum size of Beibeilong are unknown at the time of writing, but the original describers of the genus speculated that when fully grown, Beibeilong may have rivalled the massive oviraptorid dinosaur Gigantoraptor for size.
Further reading
- Perinate and eggs of a giant caenagnathid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of central China. - Nature Communications 8:14952. - H.-Y. Pu, D. K. Zelenitsky, J.-C., P. J. Currie, K. Carpenter, L. Xu, E. B. Koppelhus, S.-H. Jia, L. Xiao, H.-L. Chuang, T.-R. Li, M. Kundr�t & C.-Z. Shen - 2017.
