Lyme Bay marine crocodile described

[pachy-pleuro-whatnot-odon]

Roughly two years ago, while investigating the identity of a marine reptile tooth said to have come from Lyme Regis, I got hinted about a spectacular new marine crocodile, much older than any other member of the thalattosuchian clade. This new species has finally been described: Turnersuchus hingleyae! Set outside the traditional subgroupings of teleosauroidea and metriorhynchoidea, this newly described species has major implications for the evolutionary relationships between thalattosuchians and other crocodylomorphs.

 

 

 

Wilberg, Godoy, Griffiths, Turner & Benson, 2023. A new early diverging thalattosuchian (Crocodylomorpha) from the Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian) of Dorset, U.K. and implications for the origin and evolution of the group.

 

Art by Júlia d'Oliveira (source)

[rocket]

Interesting, have heard about the fossil some time ago when do some work on an early croc from Toarc of the posidonia slate. But did not know that the paper came out.

thanks for sharing

[Jared C]

So cool, and the paleo art associated with it is good as well. I almost like those beautifully portrayed belemnites more than the croc 

[TqB]

6 hours ago, Jared C said:

So cool, and the paleo art associated with it is good as well. I almost like those beautifully portrayed belemnites more than the croc 

I agree about the belemnites.  And the ammonite is the desirable and rare (at least in 3D) zonal Phricodoceras taylori.