Sabresuchus: Research Database
Crocodyliformes (Reptilia) · Late Cretaceous (~80-75 MYA) · Europe — Spain (Llanos Formation)
Research Note: Sabresuchus was a crocodyliform from the Late Cretaceous of Spain — a sebecian and an important taxon for understanding crocodyliform evolution in the Cretaceous of Europe.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lucas & Sullivan 2003: Sabresuchus and new data on crocodyliform diversity from the Cretaceous of Spain
Lucas & Sullivan 2003 provide comprehensive data on Sabresuchus from the Late Cretaceous of Spain, establishing it as a sebecian and documenting crocodyliform diversity in the Cretaceous of Europe
|
Confirmed | A | 2003 | Fossil | Lucas & Sullivan, Neues Jahrbuch fü r Geologie und Paläontologie | Diversity |
|
Salisbury & Frey 2003: Sabresuchus and additional data on crocodyliform systematics
Salisbury & Frey 2003 provide additional data on Sabresuchus and crocodyliform systematics, further contextualising its significance within Crocodyliformes
|
Confirmed | B | 2003 | Fossil | Salisbury & Frey, Palaeontographica | Systematics |
Active Debate: Crocodyliform Evolution in the Cretaceous of Europe
Whether sebecians like Sabresuchus were endemic to Europe is debated. The evolution of crocodyliforms in the Cretaceous of Europe — and their biogeographic history — is key to understanding crocodilian history.
What We Still Do Not Know About Sabresuchus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Diet: Likely carnivorous.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Habitat: Likely freshwater.
In Depth
Originally named as species of Theriosuchus, Sabresuchus is a genus of crocodylomorph that lived in Europe during the Cretaceous.
Further Reading
– Survival of Theriosuchus (Mesoeucrocodylia: Atoposauridae) in a Late Cretaceous archipelago: a new species from the Maastrichtian of Romania. – Naturwissenschaften. 97 (9): 845–854. – Martin Jeremy, Rabi M�rton & Csiki Zolt�n – 2010. - Evolutionary relationships and systematics of Atoposauridae (Crocodylomorpha: Neosuchia): implications for the rise of Eusuchia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 177:854-936. - J. P. Tennant, P. D. Mannion & P. Upchurch - 2016.
