Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T01:11:08.862Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A new alligatoroid (Eusuchia, Crocodylia) from the Eocene of China and its implications for the relationships of Orientalosuchina

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

Hsi-yin Shan ,
Xiao-Chun Wu Open the ORCID record for Xiao-Chun Wu [Opens in a new window] ,
Tamaki Sato ,
Yen-nien Cheng  and
Scott Rufolo
Hsi-yin Shan
Affiliation:
National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Guanqian RD., Taichung40453, China ,
Xiao-Chun Wu*
Affiliation:
Canadian Museum of Nature, PO Box 3443 STN“D”, Ottawa, ONKIP 6P4, Canada ,
Tamaki Sato
Affiliation:
Tokyo Gakugei University, 4-1-1 Nukui Kita Machi, Koganei City, Tokyo184-8501, Japan
Yen-nien Cheng
Affiliation:
National Museum of Natural Science, 1 Guanqian RD., Taichung40453, China ,
Scott Rufolo
Affiliation:
Canadian Museum of Nature, PO Box 3443 STN“D”, Ottawa, ONKIP 6P4, Canada ,
*
*Corresponding author
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A new crocodylian, Dongnanosuchus hsui n. gen. n. sp., is described mainly based on four well-preserved skulls from the Eocene Youganwo Formation of the Maoming Basin, southeastern China. It is an alligatoroid and phylogenetically nested within the Orientalosuchina. Dongnanosuchus hsui n. gen. n. sp. differs from all other orientalosuchines primarily in certain features of the skull: (1) a preorbital ridge connects posteriorly with the dorsal orbital rim and a ridge around the anteroventral margin of the orbit, (2) the palatine is short and does not reach the posterior border of the suborbital fenestra, (3) the external mandibular fenestra is closed, and (4) the splenial joins the formation of the mandibular symphysis. The discovery of Dongnanosuchus hsui n. gen. n. sp. confirms the monophyly and North American origin of the Orientalosuchina but suggests that the clade dispersed to Asia via Beringia after diverging from the mainline rather than a sub-lineage of the Alligatoroidea in the Late Cretaceous.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/f8ca22f1-6323-462e-bf32-03c6a164c82e.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 95 , Issue 6 , November 2021 , pp. 1321 - 1339
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Paleontological Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aguilera, O.A., Riff, D., and Bocquentin-Villanueva, J., 2006, A new giant Purussaurus (Crocodyliformes, Alligatoridae) from the upper Miocene Urumaco Formation, Venezuela: Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, v. 4, p. 221–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Averianov, A., Obraztsova, E., Danilov, I., Skutschas, P., and Jin, J., 2016, First nimravid skull from Asia: Scientific Reports, v. 6, e25812. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep25812.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Benton, M.J., and Clark, J.M., 1988, Archosaur phylogeny and the relationships of the Crocodylia, in Benton, M.J., ed., The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods: Systematics Association Special Vol. 35A, Oxford, Clarendon Press, p. 295–338.Google Scholar
Bona, P., Ezcurra, M.D., Barrios, F., and Blanco, M.V.F., 2018, A new Palaeocene crocodylian from southern Argentina sheds light on the early history of caimanines: Proceedings of the Royal Society B, v. 285, 20180843. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0843.Google ScholarPubMed
Brochu, C.A., 1999, Phylogenetics, taxonomy, and historical biogeography of Alligatoroidea, in Rowe, T., Brochu, C.A., and Koshi, K., eds., Cranial morphology of Alligator mississippiensis and phylogeny of Alligatoroidea: Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Memoir No. 6, p. 9–100.Google Scholar
Brochu, C.A., 2003, Phylogenetic approaches toward crocodylian history: Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 31, p. 357–397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brochu, C.A., 2011, Phylogenetic relationships of Necrosuchus ionensis Simpson, 1937 and the early history of caimanines: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, v. 163, p. 228–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brochu, C., 2013, Phylogenetic relationships of Palaeogene ziphodont eusuchians and the status of Pristichampsus Gervais, 1853: Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, v. 103, p. 521–550.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brochu, C.A., and Storrs, G.W., 2012, A giant crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene of Kenya, the phylogenetic relationships of Neogene African crocodylines, and the antiquity of Crocodylus in Africa: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 32, p. 587–602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Case, E.C., 1925, Note on a new species of the Eocene crocodilian Allognathosuchus, A. wartheni: Contributions from the Museum of Geology, University of Michigan, v. 2, p. 93–97.Google Scholar
Chow, M. 1962, A new species of primitive chalicotheres from the Tertiary of Lunan, Yunnan: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 6, p. 219–224. [in Chinese with English summary]Google Scholar
Chow, M.C., and Liu, C.L., 1955, A new anosterine turtle from Maoming, Kwang-tung: Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, v. 3, p. 275–282. [in Chinese, with English summary]Google Scholar
Chow, M.C., and Yeh, H.K., 1962, A new emydid from Eocene of Maoming, Kwang-tung: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 6, p. 225–229. [in Chinese with English summary]Google Scholar
Cidade, G.M., Solórzano, A., and Rincón, A.D., Riff, D., and Hsiou, A.S., 2017, A new Mourasuchus (Alligatoroidea, Caimaninae) from the late Miocene of Venezuela, the phylogeny of Caimaninae and considerations on the feeding habits of Mourasuchus: PeerJ 5:e3056. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3056.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Claude, J., Zhang, J.Y., Li, J.J., Mo, J.Y., Kuang, X.W., and Tong, H., 2012, Geoemydid turtles from the late Eocene Maoming Basin, Southern China: Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, v. 183, p. 641–651.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colbert, E.H., and Bird, R.T., 1954, A gigantic crocodile from the Upper Cretaceous beds of Texas: American Museum Novitates, v. 1688, p. 1–22.Google Scholar
Cong, L.-Y., Hou, L.-H., and Wu, X.-C., 1984, Age variation in the skull of Alligator sinensis Fauvel in topographic anatomy: Acta Herpetologica Sinica, v. 3, p. 1–14. [in Chinese with English summary]Google Scholar
Cope, E.D., 1872, Notices of new Vertebrata from the upper waters of Bitter Creek, Wyoming Territory: Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, v. 12, p. 483–486.Google Scholar
Cossette, A.P., and Brochu, C.A., 2018, A new specimen of the alligatoroid Bottosaurus harlani and the early history of character evolution in alligatorids: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 38, p. 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2018.1486321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cossette, A.P., and Brochu, C.A., 2020, A systematic review of the giant alligatoroid Deinosuchus from the Campanian of North America and its implications for the relationships at the root of Crocodylia: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 40, e1767638. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2020.1767638.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Danilov, I.G., Syromyatnikova, E.V., Skutschas, P.P., Kodrul, T.M., and Jin, J., 2013, The first ‘true’ Adocus (Testudines, Adocidae) from the Paleogene of Asia: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 33, p. 1071–1080.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dollo, L., 1883, Première note sur les crocodiliens de Bernissart: Bulletin du Musée Royal de l'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique, v. 2, p. 309–338.Google Scholar
Dong, Z.M., 1974, The crocodile fossils from Xinjiang: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 12, p. 187–188. [in Chinese with English summary]Google Scholar
Duméril, A.M.C., and Bibron, G., 1836, Erpétologie Générale ou Histoire Naturelle Complète des Reptiles. Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret: Paris, Roret, v. 3, 518 p.Google Scholar
Erickson, B.R., 1972, Albertochampsa langstoni gen. et sp. nov., a new alligator from the Cretaceous of Alberta: Scientific Publications of the Science Museum of Minnesota (NS), v. 2, p. 1–13.Google Scholar
Erickson, B.R., 1982, Wannaganosuchus, a new alligator from the Paleocene of North America: Journal of Paleontology, v. 56, p. 492–506.Google Scholar
Farke, A.A., Henn, M.M., Woodward, S.J., and Xu, H.A., 2014, Leidyosuchus (Crocodylia: Alligatoroidea) from the Upper Cretaceous Kaiparowits Formation (late Campanian) of Utah, USA: PaleoBios, v. 30, p. 72–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilmore, C.W., 1911, A new fossil alligator from the Hell Creek Beds of Montana: Proceedings of the United States National Museum, v. 41 (1860), p. 297–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goloboff, P.A., and Catalano, S.A., 2016, TNT version 1.5, including a full implementation of phylogenetic morphometrics: Cladistics, v. 32, p. 221–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gmelin, J.F., 1789, Caroli a Linné Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis, Tomus 1, Pars 2, Editio Decima Tertia, Aucta, Reformata: Leipzig, Georg Emanuel Beer, 484 p.Google Scholar
Gray, J.E., 1844, Catalogue of the tortoises, crocodiles, and amphisbaenians in the collection of the British Museum: London, British Museum, 80 p.Google Scholar
Hastings, A.K., Reisser, M., and Scheyer, T.M., 2016, Character evolution and the origin of Caimaninae (Crocodylia) in the new world tropics: new evidence from the Miocene of Panama and Venezuela: Journal of Paleontology, v. 90, p. 317–332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herman, A.B., Spicer, R.A., Aleksandrova, G.N., Yang, J., Kodrul, T.M., Maslova, N.P., Spicer, T.E.V., Chen, G., and Jin, J.-H., 2017, Eocene–early Oligocene climate and vegetation change in southern China: evidence from the Maoming Basin: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 479, p. 126–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huxley, T.H., 1875, On the classification of the Animal Kingdom: Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology, v. 12, p. 199–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iordansky, N.N., 1973, The skull of the Crocodylia, in Gans, C., and Parson, T.S., eds., Biology of the Reptilia, Volume 4: Morphology D: New York, Academic Press, p. 201–262.Google Scholar
Jin, J.H., 2008. On the age of the Youganwo Formation in the Maoming Basin, Guangdong Province: Journal of Stratigraphy, v. 32, p. 47–50. [in Chinese with English abstract]Google Scholar
Jouve, S., Bouya, B., Amaghzazc, M., and Meslouh, S., 2015, Maroccosuchus zennaroi (Crocodylia: Tomistominae) from the Eocene of Morocco: phylogenetic and palaeobiogeographical implications of the basalmost Tomistomine: Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, v. 13, p. 421–445.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, C., Wu, X.-C., and Rufolo, S.J., 2019, A new crocodyloid (Eusuchia: Crocodylia) from the Upper Cretaceous of China: Cretaceous Research, v. 94, p. 25–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, D.C., Zhu, J.W., Yan, H.R., Guo, M., and Zheng, Z.W., 2006, Sedimentary characteristics and distribution rule of oil shale in Maoming Basin in Guangdong province: Journal of Jilin University Sciences, v. 36, p. 938–943. [in Chinese with English abstract]Google Scholar
Li, J., 1975, New material of Tomistoma petrolica from Maoming, Guangdong: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 13, p. 190–194. [In Chinese]Google Scholar
Li, J., 1976, A sebecosuchian found from the Nanxiong Basin, Guangdong: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 14, p. 169–173. [In Chinese]Google Scholar
Li, J., and Wang, B.-Z., 1987, A new species of Alligator from Shanwang, Shandong: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 7, p. 199–207. [in Chinese with English abstract]Google Scholar
Liu, H.-T., 1957, A new fossil cyprinid fish from Maoming, Kwangtung: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 1, p. 151–153. [in Chinese with English summary]Google Scholar
Loewen, M.A., Irmis, R.B., Sertich, J.J., Currie, P.J., and Sampson, S.D., 2013, Tyrant dinosaur evolution tracks the rise and fall of Late Cretaceous oceans: PLOS One, v. 8, e79420. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079420.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, J.E., and Lauprasert, K., 2010, A new primitive alligatorine from the Eocene of Thailand: relevance of Asiatic members to the radiation of the group: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, v. 158, p. 608–628.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Massonne, T., Vasilyan, D., Rabi, M., and Böhme, M., 2019, A new alligatoroid from the Eocene of Vietnam highlights an extinct Asian clade independent from extant Alligator sinensis: PeerJ 7:e7562. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7562.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mook, C.C., 1940, A new fossil crocodilian from Mongolia: American Museum of Natural History Novitates, v. 1097, p. 1–3.Google Scholar
Nan, Y., and Zhou, G.Q., 1996. Stratigraphy (lithology) of Guangdong Province. Multiple Classification and Correlation of the Stratigraphy of China 44: Beijing, China University of Geosciences Press, 264 p. [in Chinese]Google Scholar
Narváez, I., Brochu, C.A., Escaso, F., Pérez-García, A., and Ortega, F., 2015, New crocodyliforms from southwestern Europe and definition of a diverse clade of European Late Cretaceous basal eusuchians: PLOS One, v. 10, 0140679. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140679.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Narváez, I., Brochu, C.A., Escaso, F., Pérez-García, A., and Ortega, F., 2016, New Spanish Late Cretaceous eusuchian reveals the synchronic and sympatric presence of two allodaposuchids: Cretaceous Research, v. 65, p. 112–125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Owen, R., 1878, Monograph on the Fossil Reptilia of the Wealden and Purbeck Formations, Supplement 8—Crocodilia (Goniopholis, Pterosuchus, and Suchosaurus): Palaeontolographical Society Monograph 7, London, 15 p.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Owen, R., 1879, Monograph on the Fossil Reptilia of the Wealden and Purbeck Formations. Supplement 9—Crocodilia (Goniopholis, Brachydectes, Nannosuchus, Theriosuchus, and Nuthetes): Palaeontographical Society of London Monograph 33, 19 p.Google Scholar
Prieto-Márquez, A., Fondevilla, V., Sellés, A.G., Wagner, J.R., and Galobart, À., 2019, Adynomosaurus arcanus, a new lambeosaurine dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Ibero-Armorican Island of the European archipelago: Cretaceous Research, v. 96, p. 19–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Puértolas-Pascual, E., Canudo, J.I., Moreno-Azanza, M., 2014, The eusuchian crocodylomorph Allodaposuchus subjuniperus sp. nov., a new species from the latest Cretaceous (upper Maastrichtian) of Spain: Historical Biology, v. 26, p. 91–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Puértolas-Pascual, E., Blanco, A., Brochu, C., Canudo, J.I., 2016, Review of the Late Cretaceous–early Paleogene crocodylomorphs of Europe: extinction patterns across the K-Pg boundary: Cretaceous Research, v. 57, p. 565–590.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rio, J.P., Mannion, P.D., Tschopp, E., Martin, J.E., and Delfino, M., 2020, Reappraisal of the morphology and phylogenetic relationships of the alligatoroid crocodylian Diplocynodon hantoniensis from the late Eocene of the United Kingdom: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, v. 188, p. 579–629.Google Scholar
Schmidt, K.P., 1938, New crocodilians from the upper Paleocene of western Colorado: Field Museum of Natural History, Geological Series, v. 6, p. 315–321.Google Scholar
Shan, H.-Y., Wu, X.-C., Cheng, Y.-N., and Sato, T., 2017, Maomingosuchus petrolica, a restudy of ‘Tomistoma’ petrolica Yeh, 1958: Palaeoworld, v. 26, p. 672–690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, G.G., 1930, Allognathosuchus mooki, a new crocodile from the Puerco Formation: American Museum Novitates, v. 445, p. 1–16.Google Scholar
Souza-Filho, J.P., Souza, R.G., Hsiou, A.S., Riff, D., Guilherme, E., Negri, F.R., and Cidade, G.M., 2019, A new caimanine (Crocodylia, Alligatoroidea) species from the Solimões Formation of Brazil and the phylogeny of Caimaninae: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 38:5, 1528450. https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2018.1528450.Google Scholar
Skutschas, P.P., Danilov, I.G., Kodrul, T.M., and Jin, J., 2014, The first discovery of an alligatorid (Crocodylia, Alligatoroidea, Alligatoridae) in the Eocene of China: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 34, p. 471–476.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tong, H.-Y., and Mo, J.-Y., 2010, Jiangxichelys, a new nanhsiungchelyid turtle from the Late Cretaceous of Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, China: Geological Magazine, v. 147, p. 981–986.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
von Meyer, H., 1832, Paleologica zur Geshichte der Erde und irher Geschöpfe: Frankurt-am-Main, S. Schmerber, 560 p.Google Scholar
Wang, Y.Y., Zhang, Z.H., and Jin, J.H., 2007, Discovery of Eocene fossil mammal from Maoming Basin, Guangdong: Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Sunyatseni, v. 46, p. 131–133.Google Scholar
Wang, Y.-Y., Sullivan, K., and Liu, J., 2016, Taxonomic revision of Eoalligator (Crocodylia, Brevirostres) and the paleogeographic origins of the Chinese alligatoroids: PeerJ 4:e2356. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weitzel, K., 1935, Hassiacosuchus haupti n. g. n. sp., ein durophages Krokodil aus dem Mitteleozän von Messel: Notizblatt des Vereins für Erdkunde und der Hessischen Geologischen Landesanstalt Darmstadt, v. 16, p. 40–49.Google Scholar
Williamson, T.E., 1996, ?Brachychampsa sealeyi, sp. nov., (Crocodylia, Alligatoroidea) from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Campanian) Menefee Formation, northwestern New Mexico: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 16, p. 421–431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, X.-C., Brinkman, D.B., and Russell, A.P., 1996,. A new alligator from the Upper Cretaceous of Canada and the relationships of early eusuchians: Palaeontology, v. 39, p. 351–375.Google Scholar
Wu, X.- C., Russell, A.P., and Brinkman, D.B., 2001, A review of Leidyosuchus canadensis Lambe, 1907 (Archosauria: Crocodylia) and an assessment of cranial variation based upon new material: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 38, p. 1665–1687.Google Scholar
Wu, X.-C., Li, C., and Wang, Y.-Y., 2018, Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic test of Asiatosuchus nanlingensis Young, 1964 and Eoalligator chunyii Young, 1964: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 56, p. 137–146.Google Scholar
Ye, D., Zhong, X., Yao, Y., Yang, F., Zhang, S., et al. , 1997, Tertiary in Petroliferous Regions of China: Beijing, Petroleum Industry Press, 374 p.Google Scholar
Yeh, H., 1958, A new crocodile from Maoming, Kwangtung: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 2, p. 237–242. [in Chinese with English summary]Google Scholar
Young, C.C., 1948, Fossil crocodiles in China, with notes on dinosaurian remains associated with the Kansu crocodiles: Bulletin of Geological Society of China, v. 28, p. 255–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, C.C., 1964, New fossil crocodiles from China: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 5, p. 189–208.Google Scholar
Young, C.C., 1982, A Cenozoic crocodile from Huaining, Anhui, in Young, C.C., Selected Works of Yang Zhongjian: Beijing, Science Press, p. 47–48.Google Scholar
Yu, J. F., and Wu, Z. J., 1983, Sporo-pollen assemblage of Mao-5 well of Maoming Basin, Guangdong and its geological age: Journal of Stratigraphy, v. 2, p. 34–40. [in Chinese with English abstract]Google Scholar
Zhang, F.-K., 1981, A fossil crocodile from Anhui Province: Vertebrata PalAsiatica, v. 19, p. 200–207. [in Chinese with English abstract]Google Scholar