Wikipedia

Notosuchus

Not to be confused with Noteosuchus.

Notosuchus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 85 Ma
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Life restoration of Notosuchus terrestris
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Clade: Crocodylomorpha
Clade: †Notosuchia
Family: †Notosuchidae
Genus: †Notosuchus
Woodward, 1896
Species
  • N. terrestris Woodward, 1896 (type)
  • N. lepidus Saez, 1957

Notosuchus (/noʊtəˈsuːkəs/; 'southern crocodile') is an extinct genus of South American notosuchian crocodyliforms. It was terrestrial, living approximately 85 million years ago in the Santonian stage of the Late Cretaceous.[1]

Description

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Notosuchus was relatively small, reaching 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in length and a weight of 36 kg (79 lb).[2] Fossilised remains have been found in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation in Patagonia, Argentina. First named in 1896, Notosuchus was the first known notosuchian.[3] The type species is N. terrestris. A second species, N. lepidus, was named in 1957.[4]

A paper published in 2008 by Fiorelli and Calvo described new remains of the type species N. terrestris.[5] In it, the authors suggested that the skull would have supported a short trunk, or "hog's snout" as well as fleshy upper and lower lips. The anteriorly directed nares and the absence of a bony nasal septum (which presumably indicates cartilaginous tissue serving its place) provide evidence for a trunk-like snout, while striations on the surface of the nasal bones and the lower jaw most likely acted as attachment points for the nasolabial muscles and the depressor muscle, respectively.[6] Additionally, the authors suggested that a lateral rim on the dentary as well as numerous aligned neurovascular foramina are evidence of soft cheek-like muscular tissue. The function of the trunk was likely used for searching for food by sniffing the ground in a manner similar to extant suids and peccaries, while the cheeks would aid in mastication by preventing food loss.[5] A re-description of the skull material has since lent evidence toward minimal soft-tissue enhancement to the snout of Notosuchus.[7]

The dentition of N. terrestris were heterodont and consisted of incisiform, caniniform, and molariform teeth.[8] The teeth of N. terrestris had exceptionally thick cementum compared to other crocodylomorphs. They also had thick enamel, much like baurusuchids. Their teeth grew slowly, as evidenced by the lines of von Ebner found in their dentine.[9]

Diet

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References

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  1. ^ Hugo, CA; Leanza, HA (2001). "Hoja Geológica 3969-IV, General Roca. Provincias de Río Negro y Neuquén". Boletín Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino, Instituto de Geología y Recursos Minerales. 308: 1–65.
  2. ^ "Notosuchus - paleofiles.com".
  3. ^ Woodward, AS (1896). "On Two Mesozoic Crocodilians Notosuchus (Genus Novum) and Cynodontosuchus (Genus Novum) from the Red Sandstone of the Territory of Neuquen (Argentine Republic)". Anales del Museo de la Plata, Paleontologia Argentina. 6: 1–20.
  4. ^ Saez, MD (1957). "Crocodiloideos Fosiles Argentinos un nuevo Crocodilo del Mesozoico Argentino". Ameghiniana. 1–2: 49–50.
  5. ^ a b Fiorelli, L. E.; Calvo, J. O. (2008). "New remains of Notosuchus terrestris Woodward, 1896 (Crocodyliformes: Mesoeucrocodylia) from Late Cretaceous of Neuquen, Patagonia, Argentina". Arquivos do Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. 66 (1): 83–124.
  6. ^ Fiorelli, L. E. (2005). "Nuevos restos de Notosuchus terrestris Woodward, 1896 (Crocodyliformes: Mesoeucrocodylia) del Cretácico Superior (Santoniano) de la Provincia de Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina". 79p. Tesis (Grado) Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba.
  7. ^ Barrios, F.; Bona, P.; Carabajal, A. P.; Gasparini, Z. (2017). "Re-description of the cranio-mandibular anatomy of Notosuchus terrestris (Crocodyliformes, Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia". Cretaceous Research. 83: 3–39. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2017.08.016. hdl:11336/32766.
  8. ^ Lecuona, Agustina; Pol, Diego (October 2008). "Tooth morphology of Notosuchus terrestris (Notosuchia: Mesoeucrocodylia): New evidence and implications". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 7 (7): 407–417. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2008.07.001. Retrieved 5 November 2025 – via ResearchGate.
  9. ^ Navarro, Tamara; Cerda, Ignacio; Barrios, Francisco; Pol, Diego (30 May 2022). "Dental histology and attachment tissues in Notosuchus terrestris (Crocodyliformes, Notosuchia): palaeobiological implications". Lethaia. 55 (1): 1–10. doi:10.18261/let.55.1.10. hdl:11336/196925. ISSN 0024-1164. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via ResearchGate.