Goniopholididae

Goniopholidids Temporal range: Sinemurian - Maastrichtian
Anteophthalmosuchus fossil, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle, Brussels
Skull of Goniopholis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Archosauria
Clade:	Pseudosuchia
Clade:	Crocodylomorpha
Clade:	Crocodyliformes
Clade:	Neosuchia
Family:	†Goniopholididae Cope, 1875
Subgroups
†Amphicotylus †Anteophthalmosuchus †Calsoyasuchus †Coelosuchus †Dakotasuchus †Denazinosuchus †Diplosaurus †Eutretauranosuchus †Goniopholis †Hulkepholis †Nannosuchus †Oweniasuchus †Pinacosuchus? †Siamosuchus †Sunosuchus †Symptosuchus? †Woodbinesuchus

Goniopholididae is an extinct family of moderate-sized semi-aquatic crocodyliforms superficially similar to living crocodiles (but see below). They lived between the Early Jurassic and the Late Cretaceous.

Geographical distribution

Goniopholidids are known across Laurasia, ranging from North America, Europe and China from the Middle Jurassic, and reaching Thailand by the Early Cretaceous.

Biology

Compared to modern crocodilians, goniopholidids are very unusual in several respects. They possessed two rows of rectangular, interlocking osteoderms like those of terrestrial crocodilymorphs like atoposaurids, that are relatively simple, do not extend far in their necks, as opposed to the ornate armours of modern crocodilians; likewise, unlike modern crocodilians but like many extinct forms like phytosaurs, they have ventral osteoderms as well. Their forelimbs are also proportionally very long, particularly in the humeri and wrist bones, being as long or longer than the hindlimbs, the opposite of the condition seen in modern crocodilians. Some like Anteophthalmosuchus also have forwardly oriented eyes, as opposed to the dorsally oriented eyes seen in modern forms. These suggest multiple biomechanical differences from modern species. The paravertebral armour is composed of two rows of paired osteoderms with the lateral margins ventrally deflected and an anterior process for a ‘peg and groove’ articulation.

Classification

The following cladogram simplified after an analysis presented by Marco Brandalise de Andrade and colleagues in 2011.

Neosuchia

Atoposauridae Theriosuchus pusillus Theriosuchus guimarotae Rugosuchus Bernissartia Eusuchia Stolokrosuchus Tethysuchia Thalattosuchia Goniopholididae Calsoyasuchus valliceps "Goniopholis" phuwiangensis Eutretauranosuchus delfi "Sunosuchus" junggarensis Sunosuchus miaoi Chalawan thailandicus Siamosuchus phuphokensis Amphicotylus lucasii Denazinosuchus kirtlandicus Nannosuchus gracilidens Hulkepholis willetti Anteophthalmosuchus Dollo’s goniopholidid Goniopholis Goniopholis baryglyphaeus Goniopholis kiplingi Goniopholis simus