Arambourgisuchus khouribgaensis
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Arambourgisuchus Temporal range: 59–55 Ma Late Palaeocene |
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| Skull and line drawing | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Family: | †Dyrosauridae |
| Genus: |
†Arambourgisuchus Jouve et al., 2005 |
| Type species | |
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†Arambourgisuchus khouribgaensis Jouve et al., 2005 |
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Arambourgisuchus ("[Prof. Camille] Arambourg's crocodile") was a dyrosaurid crocodylomorph from the late Palaeocene of Morocco, found in the region of Sidi Chenane in 2000, following collaboration by French and Moroccan institutions, and described in 2005 by a team led by palaeontologist Stéphane Jouve.
Its type and only species is A. khouribgaensis, after the town of Khouribga, near which the holotype was found.
Four specimens of this taxon have been found:
The remains of A. khourgbaensis were found in a phosphate mine in the region of Sidi Chenane, part of the Ouled Abdoun Basin. The age of this animal is therefore Thanetian (late Palaeocene).
Arambourgisuchus khourbgaensis is a member of the Dyrosauridae, based on the presence of the following synapomorphies:
According to Jouve et al. (2005), it is probably one of the most derived forms, but the lack of better material makes a correct determination of its affinities difficult.
The skull of A. khourbgaensis was proportionally one of the longest among all of the Dyrosauridae, reaching a length of 1 meter. Its teeth were sharp but strong and large, as well as being less numerous than the ones in Dyrosaurus phosphaticus.
Like other dyrosaurids, it was a marine predator.
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