Litargosuchus

Lit-ar-go-su-kuss.
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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

Litargosuchus ‭(‬running fast crocodile‭)‬.

Phonetic

Lit-ar-go-su-kuss.

Named By

J.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Clark‭ & ‬H.-D.‭ ‬Sues‭ ‬-‭ ‬2002.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Crocodylomorpha,‭ ‬Sphenosuchia,‭ ‬Sphenosuchidae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

L.‭ ‬leptorhynchus‭

Size

Skull roughly‭ ‬7‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

South Africa‭ ‬-‭ ‬Elliot Formation.

Time Period

Hettangian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Complete skull and partial post cranial skeleton.

In Depth

       Initially thought to represent Pedeticosaurus,‭ ‬though not assigned to an exact species,‭ ‬Litargosuchus was later established upon the description of a complete skull and partial post cranial skeleton.‭ ‬Litargosuchus would have been a fast running predator of smaller vertebrates such as lizards,‭ ‬though larger invertebrates may have also been taken.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Two new basal crocodylomorph archosaur from the Lower Jurassic and the monophyly of the Sphenosuchia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society‭ ‬136:77-95.‭ ‬-‭ ‬J.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Clark‭ & ‬H.-D.‭ ‬Sues‭ ‬-‭ ‬2002.

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