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Mystriosuchus Temporal range: Upper Triassic
Skull of M. planirostris
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Archosauromorpha
Clade:	Archosauriformes
Order:	†Phytosauria
Family:	†Parasuchidae
Tribe:	†Mystriosuchini
Genus:	†Mystriosuchus Fraas, 1896
Species
†M. planirostris (von Meyer, 1863 ) (type) †M. westphali Hungerbuhler, 2000

Mystriosuchus (meaning "spoon-crocodile") is an extinct genus of phytosaur that lived in the Late Triassic (middle Norian) in Europe. It was first named by Eberhard Fraas in 1896, and includes two species: M. westphali and the type species, M. planirostris.

Description

Mystriosuchus planirostris measured about four metres long (13 ft), according to a complete skeleton which was found in 1995. The postcranial anatomy of the skeleton suggests that Mystriosuchus was more adapted to aquatic life than other known phytosaurs, possessing shorter and more paddle-like limbs. Cranial morphology is suggestive of a primarily fish eating diet, having long jaws like those of the modern gharials.

M. planirostris, as the name implies, has a rather "plain" snout, without osseous ornamentation or crests. M. westphali, on the other hand, has multiple bony crests along the upper jaw, most prominently at the base and tip of the snout. As keratinous crests are known in phytosaurs, it is possible that M. planirostris had soft tissue ornamentation.

Classification

Mystriosuchus used to be placed in its own subfamily, Mystriosuchidae, but subsequent cladistic analysis grouped it with other members of Pseudopalatinae, despite having several physical differences from most of the genera in this group. Originally considered to be a freshwater genus, a recent specimen from Northern Italy has shown that some Mystriosuchus specimens lived a completely marine life. In their paper on Parasuchus, Christian Kammerer and colleagues noted that Mystriosuchini has priority over Pseudopalatinae, so synonymized Pseudopalatinae with Mystriosuchini.

Below is a cladogram from Stocker (2012):

References

1. dipbsf.uninsubria.it Mystriosuchus planirostris description Retrieved on May 25th, 2008.
2. ^ Hungerbühler, A. 2002. The Late Triassic phylosaur Mystriosuchus westphali, with a revision of the genus. Palaeontology 45(2): 377-418.
3. ^ Gozzi, E. & Renesto, S.A. 2003. Complete specimen of Mystriosuchus (Reptilia, Phytosauria) from the Norian (Late Triassic) of Lombardy (Northern Italy). Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 109(3): 475-498.
4. Stocker, M. R. & Butler, R. J. 2013. Phytosauria. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 379, 91-117.
5. von Huene, F. 1915. On reptiles of the New Mexican Trias in the Cope Collection. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 34: 485-507.
6. Long, R.A. & Murry, P.A. 1995. Late Triassic (Carnian and Norian) tetrapods from the southwestern United States. Bulletin of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science 4 ‡254 pp.
7. Kammerer, C. F., Butler, R. J., Bandyopadhyay, S., Stocker, M. R. (2016), Relationships of the Indian phytosaur Parasuchus hislopi Lydekker, 1885. Papers in Palaeontology, 2: 1–23. doi: 10.1002/spp2.1022 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/spp2.1022/abstract
8. Stocker, M. R. (2012). "A new phytosaur (Archosauriformes, Phytosauria) from the Lot's Wife beds (Sonsela Member) within the Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic) of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (3): 573–586. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.649815.

External links

• www.paleodatabase.org

v t e Archosauromorpha
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Diapsida Clade: Sauria Clade: Archelosauria Sauropsida see Sauropsida Archosauromorpha see below↓
Archosauromorpha Archosauromorpha †Aenigmastropheus †Czatkowiella †Elachistosuchus? †Elessaurus †Malutinisuchus †Mecistotrachelos †Prolacertoides †Protorosaurus †Rhombopholis †Vritramimosaurus †Tanysauria Jesairosaurus? Trachelosauridae Austronaga Dinocephalosaurus Fuyuansaurus? Gracilicollum? Protanystropheus Pectodens Sclerostropheus? Trachelosaurus Sharovipterygidae? Ozimek Sharovipteryx Tanystropheidae Amotosaurus Augustaburiania Cosesaurus Fuyuansaurus? Gracilicollum? Gwyneddosaurus Langobardisaurus Luxisaurus Macrocnemus Raibliania Sclerostropheus? Tanystropheus Tanytrachelos Sharovipterygidae? Crocopoda †Boreopricea †Cryptovaranoides? †Tasmaniosaurus †Teyujagua †Allokotosauria see Allokotosauria †Rhynchosauria see Rhynchosauria †Prolacertidae? Kadimakara Prolacerta Archosauriformes see below↓
Archosauriformes Archosauriformes †Antarctanax †Cuyosuchus †Eorasaurus? †Kalisuchus †Koilamasuchus †Sarmatosuchus †Syntomiprosopus †Proterosuchidae Archosaurus Chasmatosuchus? Gamosaurus Jaikosuchus Proterosuchus Samsarasuchus Tsylmosuchus? Vonhuenia? †Protopyknosia Kranosaura Triopticus †Erythrosuchidae Bharitalasuchus Chalishevia Erythrosuchus Fugusuchus? Garjainia Guchengosuchus Shansisuchus Uralosaurus Eucrocopoda †Asperoris †Dorosuchus †Heteropelta †Litorosuchus †Marcianosuchus †Polymorphodon †Vancleavea †Euparkeriidae Euparkeria Halazhaisuchus Osmolskina †Proterochampsia see Proterochampsia Crurotarsi †Phytosauria see Phytosauria Archosauria Incertae sedis †Sikannisuchus? †Smok Avemetatarsalia see Avemetatarsalia includes birds Pseudosuchia see Pseudosuchia includes crocodilians
Related topics Tooth taxa †Crosbysaurus †Lucianosaurus †Tecovasaurus †Palaeosaurus †Protecovasaurus †Uatchitodon †Zanclodon Nomina dubia †Albisaurus †Ankistrodon †Avipes †Blomosuchus †Collilongus †Exilisuchus †Fenhosuchus †Megacnemus †Microcnemus †Vjushkovisaurus †Wangisuchus Paraphyletic groups Proterosuchia Protorosauria Thecodontia Possible members Choristodera Drepanosauromorpha Kuehneosauridae Ichthyosauromorpha Sauropterygia Thalattosauria
Category

• Phytosaurs of Europe
• Prehistoric marine reptiles
• Fossil taxa described in 1896
• Taxa named by Eberhard Fraas
• Late Triassic archosauriforms