Caiman

Crocodile caiman ( Caiman crocodilus )

• Genuine caiman ( Caiman )
• Smooth forehead caimans ( Palaeosuchus )
• Black Caimans ( Melanosuchus )

The caimans ( Caimaninae ) are a subfamily of the alligators ( Alligatoridae ) within the crocodiles ( Crocodilia ). They are compared with the genuine alligators ( Alligatorinae ). Caimans come exclusively in South America, with the exception of the crocodile caiman, whose range extends to Central America.

System

The basal representatives of the caimans were Necrosuchus ionensisaus from the Paleocene and Eocene Eocaiman cavernensis. The Orthogenysuchus olseni also dates from this period. In the Miocene the genus Purussaurus dive with several types, such as Purussaurus neivensis (formerly Caiman neivensis ) and the genus Mourasuchus on. The genus Caiman Caiman lutescens has with its first representative, this is identical with Caiman latirostris but according to current knowledge. This would make this find the oldest fossil of one of the extant species of crocodiles. The first black caiman Melanosuchus fisheri appear in the Pliocene, the Fund has several differences from the present Melanosuchus niger, but there is disagreement over whether the two types are not identical. The genera Orthogenysuchus and Mourasuchus were formerly placed in its own family Nettosuchidae.

• Genus: † Necrosuchus Simpson, 1937 † Necrosuchus ionensisaus Simpson, 1937

• † Eocaiman cavernensis Simpson, 1933

• † Orthogenysuchus olseni Mook, 1926

• † Purussaurus mirandai Aguilera, Reef & Bocquentin - Villanueva, 2006
• † Purussaurus neivensis ( Mook, 1941)
• † Purussaurus brasiliensis Rodrigues, 1892

• † Mourasuchus amazonensis Price, 1964
• † Mourasuchus atopus ( Langston, 1965)
• † Mourasuchus nativus ( Gasparini, 1985)
• † Mourasuchus arendsi Bocquentin - Villanueva, 1984

• † Melanosuchus fisheri Medina, 1976

The living today, a total of six types of genuine caiman ( Caiman ), the smooth front caiman ( Palaeosuchus ) and the Black Caimans ( Melanosuchus ) exist since the Pliocene:

• Caimans ( Caimaninae Brochu, 1999) Genus: Genuine caiman ( Caiman Spix, 1825) Crocodile caiman ( Caiman crocodilus (Linnaeus, 1758) )
• Spectacled caiman ( Caiman yacare ( Daudin, 1801) ) (status disputed)
• Broad-snouted caiman ( Caiman latirostris ( Daudin, 1801) )

• Black Caiman ( Melanosuchus niger ( Spix, 1825) )

• Wedge head - smooth forehead Cayman ( Paleosuchus trigonatus (Schneider, 1801) )
• Brow smooth forehead Cayman ( Paleosuchus palpebrosus ( Cuvier, 1807) )

The exact relationships of the caimans with each other and with other groups within the crocodiles are so far largely unknown, an accepted hypothesis is reproduced here.