Massaliasuchus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 83.5 Ma |
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Illustration of the fossilized remains from the Fuvelian Lignites of France, 1869 | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Crocodilia |
Genus: |
†Massaliasuchus Martin & Buffetaut, 2008 |
Species: | †M. affuvelensis |
Binomial name | |
Massaliasuchus affuvelensis (Matheron, 1869) |
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Synonyms | |
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Massaliasuchus is an extinct genus of allodaposuchid crocodylian that is known from fossils found in Santonian–Campanian-age Upper Cretaceous rocks of southeastern France.
Massaliasuchus was first described in 1869 by Philippe Matheron as Crocodilus affuvelensis, based on remains including skull bones. The new genus name was given to it in 2008 by Jeremy Martin and Eric Buffetaut. Massaliasuchus was considered to be related to early alligatoroids. Its name means "Marseille crocodile".
Recent cladistic analysis places Massaliasuchus as a member of Allodaposuchidae, a clade of basal eusuchians from the Late Cretaceous of southern Europe. The genus can be distinguished from Musturzabalsuchus in having 15 alveoli in the dentary.