Knowra Kaprosuchus Kaprosuchus Kaprosuchus is an extinct genus of crocodyliforms from Late Cretaceous Africa, distinguished by enlarged, tusk-like teeth and prominent bony projections above the eyes.
Crocodyliformes : Crocodyliformes is the group of reptiles that includes modern crocodilians and their extinct relatives. Kaprosuchus belongs to this broad lineage, which includes far more forms than living crocodiles.
Mahajanga Basin : The Mahajanga Basin is a sedimentary basin in northwestern Madagascar that preserves rich Late Cretaceous fossil deposits. Its deposits yielded the fossils used to describe Kaprosuchus.
Crocodyliform skull : A crocodyliform skull is the bony head structure enclosing the brain and supporting the jaws, teeth, and sensory openings. The known Kaprosuchus material is especially informative about its distinctive skull proportions and ornamentation.
Mahajangasuchus : Mahajangasuchus is an extinct crocodyliform genus from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar and a member of Mahajangasuchidae. It is a close family-level comparison that helps distinguish Kaprosuchus from other African relatives.
Mahajangasuchidae : Mahajangasuchidae is an extinct family of crocodyliforms known chiefly from Cretaceous Africa and Madagascar. This family is the proposed placement of Kaprosuchus, alongside other unusual African crocodyliforms.
Paul Sereno : Paul Sereno is an American paleontologist known for fieldwork and research on dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates. Sereno and colleagues named Kaprosuchus in their 2009 account of African crocodyliforms.
Canine tooth : A canine is a pointed tooth positioned near the front of the jaw, commonly used to seize or pierce food. Kaprosuchus had enlarged teeth that project as tusk-like canines from its jaws.
BoarCroc : BoarCroc is the popular nickname for Kaprosuchus, coined in connection with its prominent tusk-like teeth. The nickname reflects a striking resemblance, not a separate genus or evidence of a boar-like lifestyle.
Crocodylia : Crocodylia is the group containing living crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gharials, plus their closest extinct relatives. Kaprosuchus was a crocodyliform, but it was not a member of the crown group that includes living species.
A New Notosuchian from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar : A 2009 scientific paper by Paul Sereno and colleagues that described Kaprosuchus and other unusual African crocodyliforms. This paper introduced the genus and documented the fossil evidence behind its distinctive reconstruction.
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