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Hesperosuchus

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Hesperosuchus
Temporal range: Late Triassic, 220 Ma
Hesperosuchus agilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Superorder:
Genus:
Hesperosuchus
Species:
H. agilis
Binomial name
Hesperosuchus agilis

Hesperosuchus is an extinct genus of crocodylomorph reptile that contains a single species, Hesperosuchus agilis. Remains of this sphenosuchian have been found in Late Triassic (Carnian) strata from Arizona and New Mexico.

Size compared to a human

Hesperosuchus was a contemporary of Coelophysis, a primitive predatory theropod dinosaur. Coelophysis was long thought to have been a cannibal, based on the presence of putative juvenile Coelophysis bones in the gut regions of a few adults. In at least one of these cases, though, the "juvenile Coelophysis" bones were actually those of a Hesperosuchus (or something very similar) instead.[1]

References

  1. ^ Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Turner, Alan H.; Erickson, Gregory M.; Norell, Mark A. (22 December 2006). "Prey choice and cannibalistic behaviour in the theropod Coelophysis" (PDF). Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 2 (4): 611–4. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0524. PMC 1834007. PMID 17148302.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)