Decuriasuchus

De-cu-re-ah-su-kus.
Published on

Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Decuriasuchus ‭(‬Legion of ten crocodile‭)‬.

Phonetic

De-cu-re-ah-su-kus.

Named By

M.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬G.‭ ‬Franca,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Ferigolo‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Langer‭ ‬-‭ ‬2011.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Paracrocodylomorpha,‭ ‬Loricata.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

D.‭ ‬quartacolonia‭

Size

Roughly up to about‭ ‬2.5‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Brazil‭ ‬-‭ ‬Santa Maria Formation.

Time Period

Ladinian of the Triassic.

Fossil representation

Remains of ten individuals,‭ ‬including three almost complete skulls and partial post cranial skeletal remains.

In Depth

       Named in‭ ‬2011,‭ ‬Decuriasuchus seems to have been like many predatory archosaurs in appearance,‭ ‬moderate in size,‭ ‬and capable of taking down similar sized animals.‭ ‬What has made palaeontologists sit up take notice however is that when Decuriasuchus was first found they didn’t find just one,‭ ‬but nine individuals buried together,‭ ‬with a tenth nearby.‭ ‬Even more startling is that they all appear to have died together‭ ‬at the same time‭ ‬and not over a period of months and years as would be expected if this were a predator trap.‭ ‬Further,‭ ‬no other fossils of other animals have been found,‭ ‬suggesting that they did not all come together to feed on a carcass.‭ ‬What Decuriasuchus represents is perhaps one of the earliest signs of gregarious behaviour in archosaurs‭

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Associated skeletons of a new middle Triassic‭ “‬Rauisuchia‭” ‬from Brazil.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Naturwissenschaften.‭ ‬-‭ ‬M.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬G.‭ ‬Franca,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Ferigolo‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Langer‭ ‬-‭ ‬2011. – The skull anatomy of Decuriasuchus quartacolonia (Pseudosuchia: Suchia: Loricata) from the middle Triassic of Brazil. – Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 379 (1): 469–501 – Marco A. G. De Fran�a, Max C. Langer & Jorge Ferigolo – 2013.

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