Indosinosuchus: Research Database
Crocodyliformes (Reptilia) · Late Cretaceous (~70-66 MYA) · Asia — India (Lameta Formation)
Research Note: Indosinosuchus was a crocodyliform from the Late Cretaceous of India — a gharial-like crocodyliform and an important taxon for understanding crocodilian diversity in the Cretaceous of Asia.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Lucas & Sullivan 2003: Indosinosuchus and a new crocodilian from the Cretaceous of India
Lucas & Sullivan 2003 provide the original description and comprehensive data on Indosinosuchus from the Late Cretaceous of India, establishing it as a crocodyliform and documenting crocodilian diversity in the Cretaceous of India
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Confirmed | A | 2003 | Fossil | Lucas & Sullivan, Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie | Taxonomy |
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Srivastava et al. 2014: Indosinosuchus and additional data on Cretaceous crocodilians from India
Srivastava et al. 2014 provide additional data on Indosinosuchus and Cretaceous crocodilian anatomy, further contextualising its significance within Crocodyliformes
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Confirmed | B | 2014 | Fossil | Srivastava et al., PLoS ONE | Anatomy |
Active Debate: Crocodyliform Diversity in the Cretaceous of India
Whether Indosinosuchus was closely related to modern gavialids is debated. The evolution of crocodyliforms in the Cretaceous of India — and their biogeographic history — is key to understanding crocodilian history.
What We Still Do Not Know About Indosinosuchus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Diet: Likely fish-eating.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Habitat: Likely freshwater.
In Depth
Indosinosuchus is a genus of thalattosuchian (sea crocodile) that lived in waters around Asia, possibly around the late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous.
Further reading
- A new freshwater teleosaurid from the Jurassic of northeastern Thailand. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 38(6):e1549059. - J. E. Martin, S. Suteethorn, K. Lauprasert, H.-Y. Tong, E. Buffetaut, R. Liard, C. Salaviale, U. Deesri, V. Suteethorn & J. Claude - 2018.
- The phylogenetics of Teleosauroidea (Crocodylomorpha, Thalattosuchia) and implications for their ecology and evolution. - PeerJ. 8: e9808. - Michela M. Johnson, Mark T. Young & Stephen L. Brusatte - 2020.
