Paralligatoridae is an extinct family of neosuchian crocodyliforms that existed during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. It includes the genera Paralligator, Brillanceausuchus, Kansajsuchus, Shamosuchus, Scolomastax, Sabresuchus, Rugosuchus, Batrachomimus and Wannchampsus, as well as the yet-unnamed "Glen Rose form".[1][2]

Paralligatoridae
Temporal range: Late Jurassic - Late Cretaceous, Oxfordian–Maastrichtian
Skulls of Paralligator
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Pseudosuchia
Clade: Crocodylomorpha
Clade: Crocodyliformes
Clade: Neosuchia
Family: Paralligatoridae
Konzhukova, 1954
Genera

Batrachomimus
Brillanceausuchus
Kansajsuchus
Paralligator
Rugosuchus
Sabresuchus
Scolomastax
Shamosuchus
Tarsomordeo
Wannchampsus
Yanjisuchus

Evolution

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Phylogenetic analyses of crocodyliforms find Paralligatoridae to nest within Neosuchia, a large clade (evolutionary grouping) that also includes modern crocodylians. In crocodyliform phylogeny, paralligatorids are usually found near the base of Neosuchia, outside the clade Eusuchia, which includes crocodylians and their closest relatives. Below is a cladogram from Montefeltro et al. (2013) showing the phylogenetic relationships of Paralligatoridae:[1]

Mesoeucrocodylia

References

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  1. ^ a b Montefeltro, F. C.; Larsson, H. C. E.; de França, M. A. G.; Langer, M. C. (2013). "A new neosuchian with Asian affinities from the Jurassic of northeastern Brazil". Naturwissenschaften. 100 (9): 835–841. Bibcode:2013NW....100..835M. doi:10.1007/s00114-013-1083-9. PMID 23893176. S2CID 11705304.
  2. ^ Thomas L. Adams (2014). "Small crocodyliform from the Lower Cretaceous (late Aptian) of central Texas and its systematic relationship to the evolution of Eusuchia". Journal of Paleontology. 88 (5): 1031–1049. doi:10.1666/12-089. S2CID 84776430.