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Crocodylus anthropophagus

Crocodylus anthropophagus, andibular remains referred to Crocodylus anthropophagus. KNM BKII OLD 1960: left postdentary bones and posterior end of dentary, medial (A) and lateral (B) view; KNM FLKNI, dentaries and portion of right splenial, dorsal view (C); NHM R.5893, left dentary and splenial, medial (D) and lateral (E) view. Scale = 5 cm.
Brochu CA, Njau J, Blumenschine RJ, Densmore LD (2010) A New Horned Crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene Hominid Sites at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. PLoS ONE 5(2): e9333. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0009333.g006 (*)

Cladus: Eukaryota
Supergroup: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Classis: Reptilia
Subclassis: Diapsida
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Divisio: Archosauria
Subdivisio: Crurotarsi
Superordo: Crocodylomorpha
Ordo: Crocodilia
Subordo: Eusuchia
Familia: Crocodylidae
Subfamilia: Crocodylinae
Genus: Crocodylus
Species: Crocodylus anthropophagus

Postcranial material referred to Crocodylus anthropophagus. A, KNM DK I B, left scapula, lateral view; B, NHM R.5894, ?nuchal osteoderm; C, KNM DK I B OLD 62 54, right humerus, ventral view; D, KNM FLKNI, right femur, ventral view. Scale = 5 cm.
Brochu CA, Njau J, Blumenschine RJ, Densmore LD (2010) A New Horned Crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene Hominid Sites at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. PLoS ONE 5(2): e9333. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0009333.g007 (*)

Name

Crocodylus anthropophagus Brochu, Njau, Blumenschine & Densmore, 2010

Type specimen

* Holotype: NNHM-OLD-1001, partial skull and skeleton


References

* Brochu CA, Njau J, Blumenschine RJ, Densmore LD (2010) A New Horned Crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene Hominid Sites at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. PLoS ONE 5(2): e9333. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009333

Crocodylus anthropophagus is an extinct species of crocodile from Plio-Pleistocene from Tanzania.[1] It lived 1.84 million years ago.[1]


Etymology

The specific name anthropophagus is from Greek word "anthropos" that means "human" and Greek word "phagos" that means "eater", in reference to the evidence that this animal included hominids in its diet.[1]

Distribution

The type locality is Plio-Pleistocene, Olduvai Gorge in the northern Tanzania.[1] Its type locality is near the type localities for the hominids Homo habilis and Paranthropus boisei.[1]

Description
Postcranial material referred to Crocodylus anthropophagus

The description is based on a partial skull and skeleton.[1] It had prominent triangular “horns” over the ears and a relatively deep snout, these resemble those of the recently extinct Malagasy crocodile Voay robustus, but the Crocodylus anthropophagus lacks features found among osteolaemines and shares derived similarities with living species of Crocodylus.[1]

Paleoecology

Crocodylus anthropophagus was the largest predator encountered by human ancestors at Olduvai Gorge, as indicated by hominid specimens preserving crocodile bite marks from these sites.[1]

References

This article incorporates CC-BY-2.5 text from the reference.[1]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Brochu C. A., Njau J., Blumenschine R. J., Densmore L. D. (2010) "A New Horned Crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene Hominid Sites at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. PLoS ONE 5(2): e9333. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0009333

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Source: Wikipedia, Wikispecies: All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License