Name:
Hupehsuchus
(Hupeh crocodile - Hupeh is an alternative spelling to Hubei).
Phonetic: Hu-peh-soo-kus.
Named By: Young & Dong - 1972.
Classification: Choradta, Reptilia, Diapsida,
Hupehsuchia.
Species: H. nanchangensis
(type).
Diet: Piscivore/Carnivore.
Size: About 90-100 centimetres long.
Known locations: China - Hubei Province.
Time period: Olenkian (to possibly Ladinian) of
the Triassic.
Fossil representation: At least two specimens.
Hupehsuchus
is an odd name to what has often been regarded as an ichthyosaur-like
reptile given that the suchus part is Ancient Greek for crocodile.
However, Hupehsuchus is considered to only
resemble an ichthyosaur
in form, and is in fact probably not related to ichthyosaurs at all.
Beyond this it currently remains impossible to be certain as to how
Hupehsuchus relates to this better known group of
marine reptiles.
One possibility is that Hupehsuchus shares a
common ancestor to
ichthyosaurs, while another is that its form is simply a case of
convergent evolution.
Hupehsuchus
had long jaws that were filled with small sharp teeth that were
probably used to seize fish. Hupehsuchus is also
described as
polydactyl in that the front limb flippers have seven digits each while
the hind limb paddles have six digits each. Hupehsuchus
also had
ridges of armour running down its back, possible protection from
other predators such as sharks, though this armour may have been a
relict feature from recently terrestrial ancestors.
So
far Hupehsuchus is considered to be only closely
related to
Nanchangosaurus,
a very similar reptile also known from the Triassic
of China. In fact past speculation has suggested that Hupehsuchus
and
Nanchangosaurus may be the same as one another,
even though
Hupehsuchus has much heavier armour in more
prominent ridges than
Nanchangosaurus.
Further reading
- Hupehsuchus, an enigmatic reptile from the
Triassic of China, and the
problem of establishing relationships. - Philosophical Transactions of
the Royal Society of London B 331:131-153. - R. L. Carroll &
Z.-M. Dong - 1991.