Mystriosuchus
Mystriosuchus (meaning "spoon-crocodile") is an extinct genus of phytosaur that lived in the Late Triassic (middle Norian) in Europe and Greenland. It was first named by Eberhard Fraas in 1896, and includes four species: M. planirostris (the type species), M. westphali, M. steinbergeri, and M. alleroq.
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- Description
- Vertebrae
- Classification
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Mystriosuchus (meaning "spoon-crocodile") is an extinct genus of phytosaur that lived in the Late Triassic (middle Norian) in Europe and Greenland. It was first named by Eberhard Fraas in 1896, and includes four species: M. planirostris (the type species), M. westphali, M. steinbergeri, and M. alleroq.
==Description== left|thumb|Life restoration of M. planirostris in an aquatic environment. Mystriosuchus planirostris measured about , 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 as well as just two type of osteoderms as opposed to the higher diversity of other phytosaurs. Cranial morphology is suggestive of a primarily fish eating diet, having long jaws like those of the modern gharials. Several specimens have been recovered from marine fossil sites. A study on phytosaur microwear shows a preference towards softer invertebrates.