Deinosuchus

Deinosuchus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 82–73 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Reconstructed skeleton at the Natural History Museum of Utah
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Crocodilia
Superfamily:	Alligatoroidea
Genus:	†Deinosuchus Holland, 1909
Type species
Polyptychodon rugosus Emmons, 1858
Species
†D. rugosus (Emmons, 1858) [originally Polyptychodon] †D. riograndensis (Colbert & Bird, 1954) [originally Phobosuchus]
Synonyms
Polydectes Cope, 1869 Phobosuchus Nopcsa, 1924

Deinosuchus (/ˌdaɪnəˈsjuːkəs/ DY-nə-SEW-kəs) is an extinct genus related to the alligator that lived 82 to 73 million years ago (Ma), during the late Cretaceous period. The name translates as "terrible crocodile" and is derived from the Greek deinos (δεινός), "terrible", and soukhos (σοῦχος), "crocodile". The first remains were discovered in North Carolina (United States) in the 1850s; the genus was named and described in 1909. Additional fragments were discovered in the 1940s and were later incorporated into an influential, though inaccurate, skull reconstruction at the American Museum of Natural History. Knowledge of Deinosuchus remains incomplete, but better cranial material found in recent years has expanded scientific understanding of this massive predator.

Although Deinosuchus was far larger than any modern crocodile or alligator, with the largest adults measuring 10.6 m (35 ft) in total length, its overall appearance was fairly similar to its smaller relatives. It had large, robust teeth built for crushing, and its back was covered with thick hemispherical osteoderms. One study indicated Deinosuchus may have lived for up to 50 years, growing at a rate similar to that of modern crocodilians, but maintaining this growth over a much longer time.