Crocodylus acer
| "Crocodylus" acer Temporal range: Eocene | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | Crocodylomorpha |
| Order: | Crocodilia |
| Superfamily: | Crocodyloidea |
| Species: | †"Crocodylus" acer Cope, 1882 |
"Crocodylus" acer is an extinct species of crocodyloid from the Eocene of Utah. A single well preserved skull was described by paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in 1882 and remains the only known fossil of the species. It was found from the Wasatchian-age Green River Formation. "C." acer had a long, narrow snout and a low, flattened skull.[1]
Some postcranial bones have been attributed to "C." acer but they have more recently been suggested to belong to the related species "C." affinis.[2] Although they were first placed in the genus Crocodylus, "C." acer and "C." affinis are not crocodiles. Recent studies place them as early members of Crocodyloidea, only distantly related to Crocodylus. Although it represents a distinct genus, a generic name has not yet been proposed for "C." acer.
References
- ↑ Mook, C.C. (1921). "The skull of Crocodilus acer Cope" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 44 (11): 117–121.
- ↑ Brochu, C. A. (2000). "Phylogenetic relationships and divergence timing of Crocodylus based on morphology and the fossil record". Copeia. 2000 (3): 657–673. doi:10.1643/0045-8511(2000)000[0657:pradto]2.0.co;2.