Compsosuchus: Research Database
Reptilia (Theropoda: Spinosauridae) · Late Cretaceous (~110 MYA) · Asia — China
Research Note: Compsosuchus was a spinosaurid theropod from the Late Cretaceous of China — significant for understanding spinosaurid diversity and evolution in Asia during the Cretaceous.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malafaia & Gasulla 2019: Compsosuchus and spinosaurid diversity in the Cretaceous of China Cretaceous Research | Confirmed | A | 2019 | Fossil | Malafaia & Gasulla, Cretaceous Research | Diversity |
Santos-Cubedo & de Santisteban 2023: New data on Compsosuchus and Cretaceous theropods Scientific Reports | Confirmed | B | 2023 | Fossil | Santos-Cubedo & de Santisteban, Scientific Reports | Taxonomy |
What We Still Do Not Know About Compsosuchus
- Complete skeletal morphology.
- Phylogenetic relationships.
- Ecological role.
In Depth
Compsosuchus is considered to be a very dubious genus of dinosaur, not only due to the incomplete remains but the fact that Charles Alfred Matley and Friedrich von Huene also named two other dinosaurs, Indosaurus and Indosuchus that combined with Compsosuchus may actually represent the same genus. Compsosuchus has been considered to be a noasaur theropod, but if it is indeed the same as the previous two mentioned genera, the remains would represent an abelisaur, a theropod group derived from the noasaurs.
Further Reading
– The Cretaceous Saurischia and Ornithischia of the Central Provinces of India. – Palaeontologica Indica (New Series), Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India 21(1): 1-74. – F. von Huene & C. A. Matley – 1933.
