Jump to content

Paleosuchus: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
added classification information from the Cuvier's dwarf caimain page and a cladogram from the Spectacled caiman page
Line 13: Line 13:


'''''Paleosuchus''''' is a [[South America]]n [[genus]] of [[reptile]]s in the [[subfamily]] [[Caimaninae]] of the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Alligatoridae]]. They are the smallest members of the order [[Crocodilia]] in the [[Americas]].<ref>Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey (2014). The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org.</ref>
'''''Paleosuchus''''' is a [[South America]]n [[genus]] of [[reptile]]s in the [[subfamily]] [[Caimaninae]] of the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Alligatoridae]]. They are the smallest members of the order [[Crocodilia]] in the [[Americas]].<ref>Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey (2014). The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org.</ref>

⚫
The genus contains two extant species<ref>Alderton, D. (1991). ''Crocodiles and Alligators of the World.'' New York: Facts on File Publications.</ref> and a yet unnamed fossil species.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Salas-Gismondi|first1=Rodolfo|last2=Flynn|first2=John J.|last3=Baby|first3=Patrice|last4=Tejada-Lara|first4=Julia V.|last5=Wesselingh|first5=Frank P.|last6=Antoine|first6=Pierre-Olivier|date=2015-04-07|title=A Miocene hyperdiverse crocodylian community reveals peculiar trophic dynamics in proto-Amazonian mega-wetlands|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences|volume=282|issue=1804|pages=20142490|doi=10.1098/rspb.2014.2490|pmid=25716785 |pmc=4375856 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
==Classification==
The [[genus]] name ''Paleosuchus'' is derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''palaios'' meaning "ancient" and ''soukhos'' meaning "crocodile". This refers to the belief that this crocodile comes from an ancient lineage that diverged from other species of caimans some 30 million years ago.<ref name=Britton>{{cite web |url=http://crocodilian.com/cnhc/csp_ppal.htm |title=''Paleosuchus palpebrosus'' (Cuvier, 1807) |author=Britton, Adam |date=2009-01-01 |work=Crocodilian species list |access-date=2013-10-28}}</ref>

At present, ''Paleosuchus'' contains only two members: the [[Smooth-fronted caiman|smooth-fronted]] or Schneider's dwarf caiman (''[[Paleosuchus trigonatus]]'') and [[Cuvier's dwarf caiman]] (''[[Paleosuchus palpebrosus]]''), both from South America. ''Paleosuchus'' is distinguished from other caimans in the [[subfamily]] [[Caimaninae]] by the absence of an interorbital ridge and the presence of four teeth in the [[premaxilla]] region of the jaw, where other species of caimans have five.<ref name=Britton/> The relationships of [[extant taxon|extant]] (living) caimans can be shown in the [[cladogram]] below, based on molecular DNA-based [[phylogenetic]] studies:<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bittencourt |first1=Pedro Senna |last2=Campos |first2=Zilca |last3=Muniz |first3=Fabio de Lima |last4=Marioni |first4=Boris |last5=Souza |first5=Bruno Campos |last6=Da Silveira |first6=Ronis |last7=de Thoisy |first7=Benoit |last8=Hrbek |first8=Tomas |last9=Farias |first9=Izeni Pires |date=22 March 2019 |title=Evidence of cryptic lineages within a small South American crocodilian: the Schneider’s dwarf caiman ''Paleosuchus trigonatus'' (Alligatoridae: Caimaninae) |journal=[[PeerJ]] |volume=7 |page=e6580 |doi=10.7717/peerj.6580 |pmid=30931177 |pmc=6433001 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
{{clade
|label1=[[Alligatoridae]]
|1={{clade
|label1=[[Caimaninae]]
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''Paleosuchus palpebrosus'' [[Cuvier's dwarf caiman]]
|2=''Paleosuchus trigonatus'' [[Schneider's dwarf caiman]] }}
|label2=[[Jacarea]]
|2={{clade
|1={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=''Caiman crocodilus'' [[Spectacled caiman]]
|2=''Caiman yacare'' [[Yacare caiman]] }}
|2=''Caiman latirostris'' [[Broad-snouted caiman]] }}
|2=''Melanosuchus niger'' [[Black caiman]] }} }}
|label2=[[Alligatorinae]]
|2={{clade
|1=''Alligator sinensis'' [[Chinese alligator]]
|2=''Alligator mississippiensis'' [[American alligator]] }} }} }}

==Species table==
⚫
The genus contains the following two extant species<ref>Alderton, D. (1991). ''Crocodiles and Alligators of the World.'' New York: Facts on File Publications.</ref> and a yet unnamed fossil species.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Salas-Gismondi|first1=Rodolfo|last2=Flynn|first2=John J.|last3=Baby|first3=Patrice|last4=Tejada-Lara|first4=Julia V.|last5=Wesselingh|first5=Frank P.|last6=Antoine|first6=Pierre-Olivier|date=2015-04-07|title=A Miocene hyperdiverse crocodylian community reveals peculiar trophic dynamics in proto-Amazonian mega-wetlands|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences|volume=282|issue=1804|pages=20142490|doi=10.1098/rspb.2014.2490|pmid=25716785 |pmc=4375856 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-

Revision as of 19:21, 9 May 2024

Paleosuchus
Temporal range: Late Pleistocene - Recent, 0.1–0 Ma[1]
↓
Paleosuchus palpebrosus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Alligatoridae
Subfamily: Caimaninae
Genus: Paleosuchus
Gray, 1862
Species

Paleosuchus is a South American genus of reptiles in the subfamily Caimaninae of the family Alligatoridae. They are the smallest members of the order Crocodilia in the Americas.[2]

Classification

The genus name Paleosuchus is derived from the Greek palaios meaning "ancient" and soukhos meaning "crocodile". This refers to the belief that this crocodile comes from an ancient lineage that diverged from other species of caimans some 30 million years ago.[3]

At present, Paleosuchus contains only two members: the smooth-fronted or Schneider's dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus) and Cuvier's dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus), both from South America. Paleosuchus is distinguished from other caimans in the subfamily Caimaninae by the absence of an interorbital ridge and the presence of four teeth in the premaxilla region of the jaw, where other species of caimans have five.[3] The relationships of extant (living) caimans can be shown in the cladogram below, based on molecular DNA-based phylogenetic studies:[4]

Alligatoridae
Caimaninae

Paleosuchus palpebrosus Cuvier's dwarf caiman

Paleosuchus trigonatus Schneider's dwarf caiman

Jacarea

Caiman crocodilus Spectacled caiman

Caiman yacare Yacare caiman

Caiman latirostris Broad-snouted caiman

Melanosuchus niger Black caiman

Alligatorinae

Alligator sinensis Chinese alligator

Alligator mississippiensis American alligator

Species table

The genus contains the following two extant species[5] and a yet unnamed fossil species.[6]

Image Scientific name Common name Distribution
P. palpebrosus Cuvier's dwarf caiman Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, and Venezuela
P. trigonatus Smooth-fronted caiman Amazon and Orinoco Basins

References

  1. ^ Rio, Jonathan P.; Mannion, Philip D. (6 September 2021). "Phylogenetic analysis of a new morphological dataset elucidates the evolutionary history of Crocodylia and resolves the long-standing gharial problem". PeerJ. 9: e12094. doi:10.7717/peerj.12094. PMC 8428266. PMID 34567843.
  2. ^ Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey (2014). The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org.
  3. ^ a b Britton, Adam (2009-01-01). "Paleosuchus palpebrosus (Cuvier, 1807)". Crocodilian species list. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  4. ^ Bittencourt, Pedro Senna; Campos, Zilca; Muniz, Fabio de Lima; Marioni, Boris; Souza, Bruno Campos; Da Silveira, Ronis; de Thoisy, Benoit; Hrbek, Tomas; Farias, Izeni Pires (22 March 2019). "Evidence of cryptic lineages within a small South American crocodilian: the Schneider's dwarf caiman Paleosuchus trigonatus (Alligatoridae: Caimaninae)". PeerJ. 7: e6580. doi:10.7717/peerj.6580. PMC 6433001. PMID 30931177.
  5. ^ Alderton, D. (1991). Crocodiles and Alligators of the World. New York: Facts on File Publications.
  6. ^ Salas-Gismondi, Rodolfo; Flynn, John J.; Baby, Patrice; Tejada-Lara, Julia V.; Wesselingh, Frank P.; Antoine, Pierre-Olivier (2015-04-07). "A Miocene hyperdiverse crocodylian community reveals peculiar trophic dynamics in proto-Amazonian mega-wetlands". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 282 (1804): 20142490. doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.2490. PMC 4375856. PMID 25716785.
Wikispecies has information related to Paleosuchus.

Media related to Paleosuchus at Wikimedia Commons


Stub icon

This article about an archosaur is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paleosuchus&oldid=1223079664"