Gasparinisuchus

Gasparinisuchus is an extinct genus of peirosaurid notosuchian known from the Late Cretaceous (Santonian to early Campanian stage) of Neuquén and Mendoza Provinces, western central Argentina. It contains a single species, Gasparinisuchus peirosauroides.

Gasparinisuchus is known only from two individuals. The holotype MOZ 1750 PV represented by partial skull and lower jaws with teeth and various associated postcranial skeleton including vertebrae and dermal plates which are currently missing. It was originally described by Gasparini (1982) and Gasparini et al. (1991) and referred to Peirosaurus torminni. MOZ 1750 PV was found in the Loma de la Lata locality of the Neuquén Province, Patagonia. It was originally reported as collected from sediments of the Rio Colorado Subgroup, Neuquén Group. Later, Hugo and Leanza (2001) noted that this specimen was actually collected from the underlying Portezuelo Formation of the Rio Neuquén Subgroup, Neuquén Group. More recent stratigraphic work on this area identified that horizon as belonging to the younger, Coniacian-age, Plottier Formation of the Rio Neuquén Subgroup. This horizon is currently considered to pertain to the Santonian-age Bajo de la Carpa Formation of the Rio Colorado Subgroup.