Araripesuchus

Araripesuchus Temporal range: Early - Late Cretaceous, 125–66 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skull of A. wegeneri from different angles
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Suborder:	†Notosuchia
Family:	†Uruguaysuchidae
Genus:	†Araripesuchus Price, 1959
Species
†A. gomesii Price, 1959 (type) †A. wegeneri Buffetaut, 1981 †A. patagonicus Ortega et al., 2000 †A. buitreraensis Pol & Apesteguia, 2005 †A. tsangatsangana Turner, 2006 †A. rattoides Sereno & Larsson, 2009

Araripesuchus is a genus of extinct crocodyliform that existed during the Cretaceous period of the late Mesozoic era some 125 to 66 million years ago. Five species of Araripesuchus are currently known. They are generally considered to be notosuchians (belonging to the clade Mesoeucrocodylia), characterized by their varied teeth types and distinct skull elements. Its length was about 1–1.8 m (3.3–5.9 ft) with a weight of 40 kg (88 lb).Araripesuchus can be distinguished by their laterally bulged edges of the snout, with the bulge being the most prominent around the area of an enlarged maxillary tooth. There are five valid species within this genus.

The genus was coined in 1959 with the description of the type species Araripesuchus gomesii, a notosuchian crocodylian from the famed Santana Formation of Brazil. The holotype used to describe the genus, 423-R is currently in the care of the Divisao de Mineralogia e Geologia do Departamento Nacional da Producao Mineral in Rio de Janeiro. 423-R consists of a single skull articulating with part of a lower jaw. A more complete specimen, AMNH 24450 is held by the American Museum of Natural History. A second species, Araripesuchus wegeneri was described in 1981. This species was discovered from Early Cretaceous deposits of Niger on the African continent, as opposed to the South American paleodistribution of the other species in the genus. The type specimen for the species, GDF-700 consisting of a few, fragmentary jaw elements, reside at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris.Araripesuchus patagonicus was described from a patagonian specimen (MUC-PV 269) in 2000. Another species to be assigned to the genus, was Araripesuchus buitreraensis, described in 2005. This species was described from a single skull (MPCA-PV 235) retrieved from Late Cretaceous deposits in what is now Argentina. At 130 millimeters, the skull is the largest Araripesuchus specimen discovered to date. A fifth species, Araripesuchus tsangatsangana was described in 2006. This species' type specimen was discovered from latest Late Cretaceous deposits from the African island of Madagascar. Analysis of this specimen solidifies the position of A. wegneri as a member of the genus. A. tsangatsangana is the geologically youngest known of this genus.