Mesosuchus

Me-so-soo-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

Mesosuchus ‭(‬middle crocodile‭)‬.

Phonetic

Me-so-soo-kus.

Named By

David Meredith Seares Watson‭ ‬-‭ ‬1912.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Rhynchosauria.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

M.‭ ‬browni‭

Size

About‭ ‬30‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

South Africa‭ ‬-‭ ‬Burgersdorp Formation.

Time Period

Anisian of the‭ ‬Triassic.

Fossil representation

Skull and partial skeletons.

In Depth

       Though the name means‭ ‘‬crocodile‭’‬,‭ ‬Mesosuchus was actually one of the rhynchosaurs,‭ ‬a distinct group of archosaurs noted for having a herbivorous diet.‭ ‬Mesosuchus seems to be one of the more primitive forms with later relatives showing distinctly more developed adaptations for their lifestyles.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Mesosuchus browni,‭ ‬gen.‭ ‬et spe.‭ ‬Nov.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Records of the Albany Museum‭ ‬2:‭ ‬298‭–‬299.‭ ‬-‭ ‬David Meredith Seares Watson‭ ‬-‭ ‬1912. -‭ ‬The Early Triassic rhynchosaur Mesosuchus browni and the interrelationships of basal archosauromorph reptiles‭‬ -.‭ ‬Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London,‭ ‬Series B‭ ‬353:‭ ‬501‭–‬541‭ ‬-‭ ‬David M.‭ ‬Dilkes‭ ‬-‭ ‬1998.

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