Teleosauridae

Taxobox
name = Teleosauridae
fossil_range = Fossil range|183|136 Toarcian - Valanginian

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image_caption = "Pelagosaurus"
image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
subclassis = Diapsida
infraclassis = Archosauromorpha
unranked_ordo = Mesoeucrocodylia
subordo = Thalattosuchia
familia = Teleosauridae
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = ?"Peipehsuchus" "Teleosaurus" "Steneosaurus" "Pelagosaurus" "Machimosaurus" "Platysuchus"
synonyms=
* Steneosauridae Owen, 1843
* Mystriosauridae Fitzinger, 1843 Fitzinger LJFJ. 1843. "Systema Reptilium". Wien: Braumüller et Seidel, 106 pp.]

The teleosaurids were marine crocodilians similar to the modern gharial that during 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 fish-like tail.

Geographical distribution

The family has a wide geographic distribution, with material found in Africa (Ethiopia, Madagascar and Morocco), Europe (Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia and Switzerland), North America (Oregon), South America (Argentina), India and possibly China.Steel R. 1973. "Crocodylia. Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie, Teil 16". Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer Verlag,116 pp.] Bardet N, Hua S. 1996. "Simolestes nowackianus" HUENE, 1938 from the Late Jurassic of Ethiopia is a teleosaurid crocodile, not a pliosaur. "Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Monatschefte" 1996: 65-71.] Buffetaut E. 1979. Jurassic marine crocodilians (Mesosuchia, Teleosauridae) from central Oregon; first record in North America. "Journal of Paleontology" 53 (1):10-215.] Owen R. 1852. Note on the crocodilians remains accompanying Dr. T.L. Bell's paper on Kotah. "Quaterly Journal of the Geological Society of London" 8: 233.] Delfino M, Dal Sasso C. 2006. Marine reptiles (Thalattosuchia) from the Early Jurassic of Lombardy (northern Italy). "Geobios" 39 (3): 346-354.] Storrs GW, Efimov MB. 2000. Mesozoic crocodyliformes of north-central Eurasia. In: Benton M, Shishkin MA, Unwin DM, Kurichkin EN (eds). "The Age of Dinosauria in Russia and Mongolia". P. 402-419, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.]

ee also

*List of marine reptiles

References