| Aprosuchus Temporal range: Maastrichtian | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Pseudosuchia |
| Superorder: | Crocodylomorpha |
| Family: | † Atoposauridae |
| Genus: | † Aprosuchus Venczel and Codrea, 2019 |
| Type species | |
| †Aprosuchus ghirai Venczel and Codrea, 2019 | |
Aprosuchus is a genus of small-bodied Maastrichtian atoposaurid Eusuchian from the Hateg Basin, Romania. [1]
Aprosuchus is known from an incomplete three-dimensional skull and closely associated mandibles (Holotype UBB V.562/1) as well as a cervical vertebrae found in association with the cranial remains (referred specimen UBB V.562/2). The fossils were found in Maastrichtian sediments of the Pui Gater locality in the Hateg Basin in modern day Transylvania, Romania. [1]
The name derives from the Hungarian "apró" meaning small and the Ancient Greek σοῦχος, soukhos ("crocodile"). The species name ghirai honors Ioan Ghira from the Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, for his contributions to Herpetology. [1]
Aprosuchus was a small sized brevirostrine Eusuchian with an estimated body length of 600 mm. It differs from other crocodylomorphs through large palpebral strongly fused to the orbital margin of the prefrontals and frontals and partly overlapping the prefrontal and lacrimal and heterodont dentition. Aprosuchus dentition preserves at least four different morphotypes, pseudocaniniforms, pseudoziphodont lanceolate, ziphodont lanceolate and ‘low-crowned’ teeth. A further autapomorphy is the w-shaped overlap between the nasals and prefrontals which differentiates Aprosuchus from Sabresuchus symplesiodon. [1] The presence of four different tooth morphotypes casts doubt over the identification of atoposaurids based on teeth beyond a family level. [1]
The following phylogenetic tree is based on the results of Venczel and Codrea 2019 using their strict consensus tree resulted from the four most parsimonious trees (Alligatorium excluded). They recovered that Aprosuchus ghirai appeared to be closely allied to other atoposaurids while Wannchampsus and the Glen Rose Form stood outside of the clade, but still closer to atoposaurids than to paralligatorids. [1]
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The paper's strict consensus tree resulted from the two most parsimonious trees (Alligatorium included) recovered similar results, retaining the sister group relationship between the Wannchampsus + Glen Rose Form clade as well as the sister group relationship between atoposaurids and paralligatorids. [1]
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The presence of the fossil remains of two distinct genera of atoposaurids, alongside tentatively referred isolated teeth of the possibly durophagous Eusuchian Acynodon (cf. Acynodon sp.) [2] [3] and the larger Allodaposuchus [4] implies the existence of a diverse and complex ecosystem present on the Transylvanian landmass during the Maastrichtian. In this ecosystem the small bodied Aprosuchus would have most likely preyed on invertebrates and small vertebrates. [1]
The presence of Aprosuchus suggests that survivors of the Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous atoposaurid lineage managed to survive up to the Late Cretaceous by colonising complex island ecosystems in the archipelagos of the Eastern Tethys. [1]
Kogaionidae is a family of fossil mammals within the extinct order Multituberculata. Representatives are known from the Upper Cretaceous and the Paleocene of Europe. Having started as island endemics on Hateg Island during the Upper Cretaceous, where they were in fact the dominant mammal group and diverged into rather unique ecological niches, they expanded across Europe in the Paleocene, where they briefly became a major component of its mammal fauna before their extinction. They are considered to be basal members of Cimolodonta.
Barbatodon is a mammal genus from the Upper Cretaceous period. It lived in Transylvania at the same time as some of the last dinosaurs and was a member of the extinct order of Multituberculata. It is within the suborder of Cimolodonta, and the family Kogaionidae. The genus Barbatodon was named by Rãdulescu R. and Samson P. in 1986.
Magyarosaurus is a genus of dwarf sauropod dinosaur from late Cretaceous Period in Romania. It is one of the smallest-known adult sauropods, measuring only 6 m (20 ft) in length and 750–1,000 kg (1,650–2,200 lb) in body mass. The type and only certain species is Magyarosaurus dacus. It has been found to be a close relative of Rapetosaurus in the family Saltasauridae in the sauropod clade Titanosauria in a 2005 study.
Elopteryx is a genus of, perhaps troodontid, maniraptoran theropod dinosaur based on fragmentary fossils found in late Cretaceous Period rocks of Romania. The single species, Elopteryx nopcsai, is known only from very incomplete material, and therefore is considered a nomen dubium by most paleontologists.
Heptasteornis is the name given to a potentially dubious genus of alvarezsaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous. The type species is Heptasteornis andrewsi, described as a presumed gigantic prehistoric owl in 1975. It was previously included in Elopteryx nopcsai and indeed the holotypes of both were believed to be from the same individual as they were discovered, and initially were assigned the same specimen number. This appears to be in error however.
Allodaposuchus is an extinct genus of crocodyliforms that lived in what is now southern Europe during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous. Although generally classified as a non-crocodylian eusuchian crocodylomorph, it is sometimes placed as one of the earliest true crocodylians. Allodaposuchus is one of the most common Late Cretaceous crocodylomorphs from Europe, with fossils known from Romania, Spain, and France.
Hațeg Island was a large offshore island in the Tethys Sea which existed during the Late Cretaceous period, probably from the Cenomanian to the Maastrichtian ages. It was situated in an area corresponding to the region around modern-day Hațeg, Hunedoara County, Romania. Maastrichtian fossils of small-sized dinosaurs have been found in the island's rocks. It was formed mainly by tectonic uplift during the early Alpine orogeny, caused by the collision of the African and Eurasian plates towards the end of the Cretaceous. There is no real present-day analog, but overall, the island of Hainan is perhaps closest as regards climate, geology and topography, though still not a particularly good match. The vegetation, for example, was of course entirely distinct from today, as was the fauna.
Hatzegopteryx is a genus of azhdarchid pterosaur found in the late Maastrichtian deposits of the Densuş Ciula Formation, an outcropping in Transylvania, Romania. It is known only from the type species, Hatzegopteryx thambema, named by Buffetaut et al. in 2002 based on parts of the skull and humerus. Additional specimens, including a neck vertebra, were later placed in the genus, representing a range of sizes. The largest of these remains indicate it was among the biggest pterosaurs, with an estimated wingspan of 10 to 12 metres.
Atoposauridae is a family of crocodile-line archosaurs belonging to Neosuchia. The majority of the family are known from Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous marine deposits in France, Portugal, and Bavaria in southern Germany. The discovery of the genus Aprosuchus, however, extends the duration of the lineage to the end of the Cretaceous in Romania.
Paralatonia is an extinct genus of prehistoric Alytid frog from the late Cretaceous of Sânpetru and Densuş-Ciula Formation, Hațeg Island, modern day Romania.
Acynodon is an extinct genus of eusuchian crocodylomorph from the Late Cretaceous, with fossils found throughout Southern Europe.
The Sânpetru Formation is an early Maastrichtian geologic formation. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. It is located in Romania, near Sânpetru village, part of Sântămăria-Orlea commune. It forms a component of the Hațeg Island fauna.
Ischyrochampsa is an extinct monospecific genus of Late Cretaceous crocodyliform belonging to the eusuchian clade Allodaposuchidae. Fossils of the type species I. meridionalis are late Campanian in age and were found in the commune of Saint-Estève-Janson in Bouches-du-Rhône, France. Material is also known from Spain. It was named and described in 1995, and it had an estimated length of over 4 metres (13 ft).
Paludititan is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur which lived in the area of present Romania during the Late Cretaceous. It existed in the island ecosystem known as Hațeg Island.
Arenysuchus is an extinct monospecific genus of allodaposuchid eusuchian crocodylomorph from Late Cretaceous deposits of north Spain. It is known from the holotype MPZ ELI-1, a partial skull from Elías site, and from the referred material MPZ2010/948, MPZ2010/949, MPZ2010/950 and MPZ2010/951, four teeth from Blasi 2 site. It was found by the researchers José Manuel Gasca and Ainara Badiola from the Tremp Formation, in Arén of Huesca, Spain. It was first named by Eduardo Puértolas, José I. Canudo and Penélope Cruzado-Caballero in 2011 and the type species is Arenysuchus gascabadiolorum.
Barbatteius is an extinct genus of teiid lizard represented by the type species Barbatteius vremiri from the Late Cretaceous of Romania. B. vremiri was named in 2016 on the basis of a well preserved skull from the Haţeg Basin and differs from other teiids in having more prominent osteoderms covering the skull roof. It is also large for a teiid, with an estimated total body length of 80 centimetres (31 in). Barbatteius lived on Haţeg Island during the early Maastrichtian stage and was part of an isolated island fauna. However, its close affinities with teiids from Gondwana and its co-occurrence with paramacellodid and borioteiioid lizards from Euramerica suggests that Haţeg Island was colonized by lizards multiple times from many different areas of the world.
Allodaposuchidae is an extinct clade of eusuchians that lived in Europe during the Late Cretaceous (Santonian-Maastrichtian).
Oardasaurus is an extinct genus of lizard from the latest Cretaceous of Romania. It is a member of the Barbatteiidae, a group of lizards closely related to the Teiidae. At 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length, it was much smaller than the only other named member of the Barbatteiidae, Barbatteius, which lived slightly later. Like Barbatteius, Oardasaurus can be identified by the presence of a crust of bone deposits, or osteoderms, on the roof of its skull; it differs from Barbatteius in the pattern of the sculpturing on this crust. Both Oardasaurus and Barbatteius lived in the isolated island ecosystem of Hațeg Island, having rapidly diversified into various generalist predators of small prey after their arrival on the island during the Early Cretaceous. They went extinct in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.
Meyasaurus is an extinct genus of Teiid lizard known from the Barremian of Spain and the Isle of Wight, UK. Four species are known from Spain, from the La Huérguina, Camarillas, and La Pedrera de Rúbies Formations while an indeterminate taxon is known from the Wessex Formation of Isle of Wight. It is a possible close relative of Barbatteius and other members of Barbatteiidae.
Bicuspidon is an extinct genus of Polyglyphanodontid lizard known from the Late Cretaceous of North America, Europe and Africa, two species, B. numerosus and B. smikros are known from the Cenomanian of Utah in the Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation and the Naturita Formation respectively. While B. hatzegiensis is known from the Maastrichtian Sânpetru Formation of Romania and B. hogreli is known from the Cenomanian Kem Kem Beds of Morocco. An indeterminate taxon closely related to B. hatzegiensis referred to as B. aff. hatzegiensis is known from the Santonian Csehbánya Formation of Hungary. The dentition is heterodont, with conical anterior teeth and transversely orientated biscuspid posterior teeth.
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