THE FIRST NOTOSUCHIAN CROCODYLIFORM FROM THE CRETACEOUS OF LA RIOJA, ARGENTINA

LUCAS FIORELLI; MARTÍN HECHENLEITNER; DIEGO POL; JUAN LEARDI; GERALD GRELLET-TINNER

Zapala-El Chocón

Congreso; XXVIII Jornadas Argentinas de Paleontología de Vertebrados; 2014

Asociación Paleontológica Argentina

􀀷􀁋􀁈 Cretaceous witnessed the greatest diversity of 􀁆􀁕􀁒􀁆􀁒􀁇􀁜􀁏􀁌􀁉􀁒􀁕􀁐􀁖􀀏􀀃􀁄􀁐􀁒􀁑􀁊􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀁐􀀏􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁑􀁒􀁗􀁒􀁖􀁘􀁆􀁋􀁌􀁄􀁑􀁖􀀑􀀃􀀷􀁋􀁈􀀃Gondwanan notosuchian crocodyliforms displayed high levels of diversity and a notable array of specialized forms that developed in different ecological 􀁑􀁌􀁆􀁋􀁈􀁖􀀑􀀃􀀷􀁋􀁌􀁖􀀃􀁇􀁌􀁙􀁈􀁕􀁖􀁌􀂿􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁑􀁒􀁗􀁒􀁖􀁘􀁆􀁋􀁌􀁄􀁑􀀃􀁉􀁒􀁖􀁖􀁌􀁏􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁆􀁒􀁕􀁇􀀃􀁌􀁖􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁋􀁌􀁊􀁋􀁈􀁖􀁗􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀀶􀁒􀁘􀁗􀁋􀀃􀀤􀁐􀁈􀁕􀁌􀁆􀁄􀀏􀀃􀁚􀁋􀁈􀁕􀁈 the Argentinean (Patagonia) and Brazilian specimens are 􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁅􀁈􀁖􀁗􀀃􀁎􀁑􀁒􀁚􀁑􀀑􀀃􀀫􀁈􀁕􀁈􀀏􀀃􀁚􀁈􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁓􀁒􀁕􀁗􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀂿􀁕􀁖􀁗􀀃􀁆􀁕􀁒􀁆􀁒􀁇􀁜􀁏􀁌􀁉􀁒􀁕􀁐􀀃􀁉􀁕􀁒􀁐􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀀦􀁕􀁈􀁗􀁄􀁆􀁈􀁒􀁘􀁖􀀃􀁈􀁛􀁓􀁒􀁖􀁘􀁕􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀀯􀁒􀁖􀀃􀀯􀁏􀁄􀁑􀁒􀁖􀀃􀀩􀁒􀁕􀁐􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀀯􀁄􀀃 􀀵􀁌􀁒􀁍􀁄􀀃􀀳􀁕􀁒􀁙􀁌􀁑􀁆􀁈􀀏􀀃􀁑􀁒􀁕􀁗􀁋􀁚􀁈􀁖􀁗􀁈􀁕􀁑􀀃􀀤􀁕􀁊􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁌􀁑􀁄􀀏􀀃􀁚􀁋􀁌􀁆􀁋􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁓􀁕􀁈􀁖􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁖􀀃􀁄􀀃􀁑􀁈􀁚􀀃􀁖􀁓􀁈􀁆􀁌􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁄􀀃􀁖􀁐􀁄􀁏􀁏􀀐􀁅􀁒􀁇􀁌􀁈􀁇􀀃􀀱􀁒􀁗􀁒􀁖􀁘􀁆􀁋􀁌􀁄􀀑􀀃􀀷􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁖􀁓􀁈􀁆􀁌􀁐􀁈􀁑􀀃􀀋􀀦􀀵􀀬􀀯􀀤􀀵􀀐􀀳􀁙􀀃 􀀘􀀓􀀕􀀌􀀃􀁌􀁑􀁆􀁏􀁘􀁇􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁉􀁕􀁄􀁊􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁏􀁈􀁉􀁗􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁕􀁌􀁊􀁋􀁗􀀃􀁐􀁄􀁛􀁌􀁏􀁏􀁄􀀃􀀋􀁖􀁘􀁓􀁓􀁒􀁕􀁗􀁌􀁑􀁊􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁏􀁈􀁉􀁗􀀃􀁓􀁄􀁏􀁄􀁗􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁏􀁄􀁐􀁌􀁑􀁄􀀌􀀃􀁚􀁌􀁗􀁋􀀃􀁗􀁈􀁈􀁗􀁋􀀏􀀃􀁉􀁕􀁄􀁊􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁏􀁈􀁉􀁗􀀃􀁍􀁘􀁊􀁄􀁏􀀏􀀃􀁏􀁈􀁉􀁗􀀃 pterygoid and ectopterygoid, right dentary with teeth, fragment of left dentary and angular. Based on these remains, we estimate the skull to be 􀀔􀀓􀀃􀁆􀁐􀀃􀁏􀁈􀁑􀁊􀁗􀁋􀀑􀀃􀀬􀁑􀀃􀁄􀁇􀁇􀁌􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀏􀀃􀀦􀀵􀀬􀀯􀀤􀀵􀀐􀀳􀁙􀀃􀀘􀀓􀀕􀀃shares several derived features with Notosuchus terrestris􀀃􀀋􀁈􀀑􀁊􀀑􀀏􀀃􀁐􀁄􀁛􀁌􀁏􀁒􀀐 palatal characteristics, similar dentition and arrangement of tooth row, mandibular symphysis, sculpturing patterns, and 􀁓􀁗􀁈􀁕􀁜􀁊􀁒􀁌􀁇􀀒 􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁒􀁓􀁗􀁈􀁕􀁜􀁊􀁒􀁌􀁇􀀃􀁐􀁒􀁕􀁓􀁋􀁒􀁏􀁒􀁊􀁜􀀌􀀑􀀃􀀦􀀵􀀬􀀯􀀤􀀵􀀐􀀳􀁙􀀃􀀘􀀓􀀕􀀃was found in an immature􀀃􀁖􀁄􀁑􀁇􀁜􀀃􀁓􀁄􀁏􀁈􀁒􀁖􀁒􀁏􀀃􀁖􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁉􀁒􀁕􀁐􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀁄􀀃􀁖􀁈􀁐􀁌􀀐􀁄􀁕􀁌􀁇􀀃􀁈􀁑􀁙􀁌􀁕􀁒􀁑􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀀃 􀁚􀁌􀁗􀁋􀀃􀁄􀁆􀁗􀁌􀁙􀁈􀀃􀁈􀁒􀁏􀁌􀁄􀁑􀀃􀁖􀁈􀁇􀁌􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀑􀀃􀀷􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁓􀁕􀁈􀁖􀁈􀁑􀁆􀁈􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁄􀀃􀁑􀁈􀁚􀀃􀁖􀁐􀁄􀁏􀁏􀀐􀁅􀁒􀁇􀁌􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁐􀁄􀁐􀁐􀁄􀁏􀀐􀁏􀁌􀁎􀁈􀀃􀁆􀁕􀁒􀁆􀁒􀁇􀁜􀁏􀁌􀁉􀁒􀁕􀁐􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀀦􀁕􀁈􀁗􀁄􀁆􀁈􀁒􀁘􀁖􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁚􀁈􀁖􀁗􀁈􀁕􀁑􀀃 Gondwana halfway between the known South American species (Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia), has interesting biogeographic 􀁌􀁐􀁓􀁏􀁌􀁆􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀁖􀀑􀀃􀀩􀁘􀁕􀁗􀁋􀁈􀁕􀁐􀁒􀁕􀁈, the striking similarities with Notosuchus among notosuchians, and the association with derived titanosaurs and abelisaurids􀀏􀀃􀁖􀁘􀁓􀁓􀁒􀁕􀁗􀀃􀁄􀀃􀀯􀁄􀁗􀁈􀀃􀀦􀁕􀁈􀁗􀁄􀁆􀁈􀁒􀁘􀁖􀀃􀁄􀁊􀁈􀀃􀁉􀁒􀁕􀀃􀀯􀁒􀁖􀀃􀀯􀁏􀁄􀁑􀁒􀁖􀀃􀀩􀁒􀁕􀁐􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁚􀁌􀁗􀁋􀀃􀁋􀁘􀁊􀁈􀀃􀁌􀁐􀁓􀁏􀁌􀁆􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀁖􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁊􀁌􀁒􀁑􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁗􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁒􀁑􀁌􀁆􀀃􀁐􀁒􀁇􀁈􀁏􀁖􀀃 􀁉􀁒􀁕􀀃􀀯􀁄􀀃􀀵􀁌􀁒􀁍􀁄􀀃􀀳􀁕􀁒􀁙􀁌􀁑􀁆􀁈􀀑