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Cranial Morphology of Theriosuchus sympiestodon (Mesoeucrocodylia, Atoposauridae) and the Widespread Occurrence of Theriosuchus in the Late Cretaceous of Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 October 2015

Jeremy E. Martin
Affiliation:
School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK,
Márton Rabi
Affiliation:
Institut für Geowissenschaften, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstraße 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany Department of Paleontology and MTA–ELTE Lendület Dinosaur Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary,
Zoltán Csiki-Sava
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania, ;
Ştefan Vasile
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania, ;

Abstract

We present a detailed morphological description of the type-locality cranial material of Theriosuchus sympiestodon Martin, Rabi, and Csiki, 2010 from the Maastrichtian Densuş-Ciula Formation of the Haţeg Basin, Romania together with new material of isolated cranial elements and teeth from various sites of the same general area. The recognition of several individuals of distinct sizes allows for an assessment of ontogenetic variation in this taxon. New material, consisting of isolated teeth and an incomplete maxilla with in situ teeth, coming from various late Campanian/early Maastrichtian sites in southern France is referable to ?Theriosuchus sp. and hints to a rare but widespread distribution of Theriosuchus in the Late Cretaceous European archipelago.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

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