PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Sulcusuchus

Reptilia - Plesiosauria - Polycotylidae

Taxonomy

Sulcusuchus was named by Gasparini and Spalletti (1990). Its type is Sulcusuchus erraini.

It was assigned to Dyrosauridae by Gasparini and Spalletti (1990); and to Polycotylidae by Gasparini and de la Fuente (2000), Gasparini et al. (2001), O'Gorman and Gasparini (2013), O'Gorman (2015), Gasparini et al. (2015), O'Gorman (2016), O'Gorman (2022).

Species

S. erraini (type species)

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1990	Sulcusuchus Gasparini and Spalletti
2000	Sulcusuchus Gasparini and de la Fuente p. 30
2001	Sulcusuchus Gasparini et al.
2013	Sulcusuchus O'Gorman and Gasparini
2015	Sulcusuchus Gasparini et al.
2015	Sulcusuchus O'Gorman p. 189
2016	Sulcusuchus O'Gorman p. 42
2022	Sulcusuchus O'Gorman

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria

Rank	Name	Author
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida
—	Diapsida	()
suborder	Sauropterygia
order	Plesiosauria	de Blainville 1835
superfamily	Plesiosauroidea	Welles 1943
family	Polycotylidae	Williston 1908
genus	Sulcusuchus

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. †Sulcusuchus Gasparini and Spalletti 1990

show all | hide all

†Sulcusuchus erraini Gasparini and Spalletti 1990

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
Z. Gasparini and L. A. Spalletti 1990	Crocodile with a long, narrow symphysis mandible, with straight, unfestooned edges. The symphysis is tall, with a subcircular section where the transverse diameter is slightly larger than the height, and with a convex lingual face. The alveoli, very deep, display a marked anteroposterior inclination, and the interalveolar spaces correspond to half or even less than the alveolar diameter. The teeth have a conical crown, with a circular section and finely striated enamel except on the lingual face. A wide and deep lateroventral groove runs along the external wall of the dental structure.
J. P. O'Gorman and Z. Gasparini 2013	Polycotylid with comparatively narrow rostrum formed by the premaxillary and maxillary, characterized by the following autapomorphies: (1) deep and broad rostral and mandibular grooves and (2) a wide notch on the posterior margin of the pterygoids that is combined with a part of the body of the basioccipital, forming a flat plate together with the posteromedial processes of the pterygoids.

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

hydroxyapatiteo

Environment:

marineo

Locomotion:

actively mobileo

Life habit:

aquatico

Depth habitat:

surfaceo

Diet:

carnivoreo

Reproduction:

viviparouso

Created:

2009-07-20 06:05:48

Modified:

2011-08-12 01:58:15

Source: o = order

Reference: Kiessling 2004

Age range: base of the Maastrichtian to the top of the Early/Lower Maastrichtian or 72.10000 to 66.00000 Ma

Collections (2 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Campanian - Early/Lower Maastrichtian	83.5 - 66.0	Argentina (Río Negro)	S. erraini (142118)
Maastrichtian	72.1 - 66.0	Argentina (Chubut)	S. erraini (99438)