Allodaposuchus

Taxobox
name = "Allodaposuchus"
fossil_range = Late Cretaceous

---

image_width =250px
image_caption = "Allodaposuchus precedens"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
subclassis = Diapsida
infraclassis = Archosauromorpha
superordo = Crocodylomorpha
ordo = Crocodylia
genus = "Allodaposuchus"
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
* "A. precedens" Nopcsa, 1928
* ?"A. affuvelensis" (Nopsca, 1915)

"Allodaposuchus" was an ancient reptile very close to the ancestor of today's crocodilians. It lived during the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) of Southern Europe (France, Spain, Romania).

Fragmentary remains of the species "Allodaposuchus precedens" were found at Valioara, in the Hateg Basin in Romania. The species "A. affuvelensis" considered a synonym of "A. precedens" have been found in France. More recently (2006), a complete skull of "A. precedens" has been discovered in the Maastrichtian locality of Oarda de Jos in the southwestern Transylvanian Basin of Romania and shed new lights on the phylogeny of the genus.

It probably grew to about 10 feet long in length, depending what type of environment it lived in.

In popular culture

"Allodaposuchus" is featured in the second episode of the Discovery Channel TV series Dinosaur Planet.

References

* Buscalioni, A. D., Ortega, F., Weisampel, D. B. & Jianu, C. M. 2001. A revision of the crocodyliform "Allodaposuchus precedens" from the Upper Cretaceous of the Hateg Basin, Romania. Its relevance in the phylogeny of Eusuchia. "Journal of Vertebrate Paleontol.ogy" 21: 74–86.
* http://apt.allenpress.com/aptonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=02724634&volume=021&issue=01&page=0074