Arambourgisuchus
Arambourgisuchus ("[Prof. Camille] Arambourg's crocodile") was a dyrosaurid crocodylomorph from the late Palaeocene of Morocco, found in the region of Sidi Chenane in 2000, following collaboration by French and Moroccan institutions, and described in 2005 by a team led by palaeontologist Stéphane Jouve.
| Arambourgisuchus | |
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| Skull and line drawing | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Family: | †Dyrosauridae |
| Genus: | †Arambourgisuchus Jouve et al., 2005 |
| Type species | |
| †Arambourgisuchus khouribgaensis Jouve et al., 2005 | |
Its type and only species is A. khouribgaensis, after the town of Khouribga, near which the holotype was found.
Material
Four specimens of this taxon have been found:
- OCP DEK-GE 300 (holotype): nearly complete and crushed skull, lacking the anterior part of the rostrum
- OCP DEK-GE 18: crushed, almost complete skull, including mandible
- OCP DEK-GE 269: posterior part of mandibular symphysis with five or six teeth alveoli on each side
- OCP DEK-GE 1200: Anteriormost portion of a mandibular symphysis
The remains of A. khourgbaensis were found in a phosphate mine in the region of Sidi Chenane, part of the Ouled Abdoun Basin. The age of this animal is therefore Thanetian (late Palaeocene).
Systematics
Arambourgisuchus khourbgaensis is a member of the Dyrosauridae, based on the presence of the following synapomorphies:
- presence of large occipital tuberosities
- supratemporal fenestra largely longer than wide
According to Jouve et al. (2005), it is probably one of the most derived forms, but the lack of better material makes a correct determination of its affinities difficult.
Palaeobiology
The skull of A. khourbgaensis was proportionally one of the longest among all of the Dyrosauridae, reaching a length of 1 meter. Its teeth were sharp but strong and large, as well as being less numerous than the ones in Dyrosaurus phosphaticus.
Like other dyrosaurids, it was a marine predator.
References
- Jouve, S.; Iarochène, M.; Bouya, B. & Amaghzaz, M. (2005). "A new dyrosaurid crocodyliform from the Palaeocene of Morocco and a phylogenetic analysis of Dyrosauridae". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 50 (3): 581–594.
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