Metriorhynchidae
Metriorhynchus superciliosus
- Europe
- North and South America
The Metriorhynchidae are a group of extinct, marine crocodile relatives living from the Middle Jurassic to the Cretaceous. Their fossilized remains have been found in Europe, and in North and South America. They were the most of the water of life adapted Archosauria.
Features
All Metriorhynchidae were strongly adapted to life in the sea. You have one or two cervical vertebrae less than today's crocodiles, the number of Präsakralwirbel (eddy in front of the pool) is 26, however, higher. The vertebrae are concave on both ends ( amphicoel ), a characteristic of all primitive crocodile -like. At the end of the tail spine bends down and rests, much like ichthyosaurs, a hypocerke tail fin. Footprints of the caudal fin have been preserved in some specimens found in Germany. The usual with all other crocodiles and crocodile -like carapace under the skin have lost the Metriorhynchidae. Her limbs are converted into fins. The upper Temporalöffnung who have the Metriorhynchidae like all Diapsiden is to semi-aquatic with them in comparison and increased terrestrial crocodile -like strong. The cause can be particularly long jaw muscles, which enabled a very wide opening of the mouth. The greatest way Dakosaurus andiniensis reached a length of six meters, other large species reaching lengths of four to five meters.
Way of life
The fact that the fossil-bearing rocks, according to their facies were deposited far from the coast in the open sea, suggesting that the Metriorhynchidae were deep-sea inhabitants. They must have been fast hunter who feeds on fish and cephalopods. Client found in Patagonia in 1996 Dakosaurus andiniensis had a massive head and ate probably other marine reptiles and large sea animals. It is unknown how the Metriorhynchidae have propagated. You can be crawled ashore and have laid eggs like today's sea turtles, sea snakes, or as some today and the ichthyosaurs have been viviparous.
System
The closest relatives of Metriorhynchidae are the Teleosauridae with which they have the double-concave vertebrae, the construction of the skull and the structure of the secondary palate together. With them and the genus Pelagosaurus the Metriorhynchidae form the taxon Thalattosuchia.
Genera
- Aggiosaurus ( Ambayrac, 1913)
- Cricosaurus (Wagner, 1858)
- Dakosaurus ( Quenstedt, 1856)
- Enaliosuchus ( Koken, 1883)
- Geosaurus ( Cuvier, 1824)
- Metriorhynchus ( Meyer, 1830)
- Neptunidraco Cau & Fanti, 2011
- Plesiosuchus Owen 1884
- Teleidosaurus ( Eudes - Deslongchamps, 1869)
- Torvoneustes Andrade et al. 2,010