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Teleosaurid

Teleosauridae
Temporal range: 183–130 Ma
Toarcian - Hauterivian
Pelagosaurus BW.jpg
Pelagosaurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Metasuchia
Clade: Neosuchia
Suborder: Thalattosuchia
Family: Teleosauridae
Synonyms
  • Mystriosauri Fitzinger, 1843
  • Mystriosauridae Fitzinger, 1843
  • Steneosauridae Owen, 1843

The teleosaurids were marine crocodyliforms similar to the modern gharial that lived from the Early Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. They had long snouts, indicative of piscivory (fish eating) and were the closest relatives to the Metriorhynchidae, the Mesozoic crocodilians that returned to the sea and evolved paddle-like forelimbs and a shark-like tail.

The family has a wide geographic distribution, with material found in Africa (Ethiopia, Madagascar and Morocco), Europe (England, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia and Switzerland), North America (Oregon), South America (Argentina), India and possibly China.

Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous.

Early Jurassic

May not be a teleosaurid.

Early Jurassic

Recovered as a basal member of Metriorhynchoidea in recent studies.

Early Jurassic

Early JurassicEarly Cretaceous

Middle Jurassic

The dagger † indicates extinct genera.


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Wikipedia

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