Ticinosuchus

Copy of the rock plate with the type specimen of Ticinosuchus ferox

  • Ticinosuchus ferox CANCER, 1965

Ticinosuchus is a genus of extinct archosaurs and heard on that line of development that leads to the modern crocodiles (→ Crurotarsi ). Its fossil remains are known from the Middle Triassic of the Alps.

The only species of the genus is Ticinosuchus ferox. Your holotype was discovered in the so-called "border bitumen zone," a horizon of the upper Anisiums of Monte San Giorgio in the Swiss Ticino and 1965 described by Bernard cancer for the first time scientifically. Although this is a complete and largely coherent but relatively strong verdrücktes skeleton, which the determination difficult.

Name

The name Ticinosuchus is made up of the Italian word Ticino, which refers to the Ticino river and the Swiss canton of the same name, and the Greek word σοῦχος ( souchos ) for crocodile.

Features

Ticinosuchus was about 2.5 meters long and his body had some similarities to the present-day crocodiles. His back was covered along the spine with small bony plates. The skull is arrow-shaped. The construction of the basin shows that his legs, in contrast to the crocodiles under the body, almost vertically standing, probably made ​​him a fast runner.

The education of his teeth, and bone remains found in the body cavity indicate that Ticinosuchus very probably was a carnivore and fed among other fish. Due to the localities in marine sediments ( marine deposits ) of the European Tethys has the former southern coast of Europe have included its habitat.

Others

Ticinosuchus is regarded as one of the possible causes of the known trace fossil Chirotherium.

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