Kalisuchus
| Kalisuchus Temporal range: Early Triassic | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Crocopoda |
| Clade: | Archosauriformes |
| Genus: | †Kalisuchus Thulborn, 1979 |
| Species | |
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Kalisuchus ('Kali's crocodile from the Rewan')[1] was a basal archosauromorph known from remains unearthed from the Arcadia Formation (Rewan Group) of the Early Triassic of the Crater, Southwest of Rolleston, south central Queensland, Australia. It was named after Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction, a reference to the fact that the remains, including skull, vertebrae, limb and girdle were found as small fragments. The type species of Kalisuchus is K. rewanensis. Kalisuchus is the oldest archosauromorph known in Australia. It and Tasmaniosaurus are the only archosauromorphs known from the Triassic of Australia. Its body length is estimated at about 3 metres. The ankle bones are strikingly similar to those of a crocodile, and it is surmised that like other proterosuchids, it lived an amphibious and predatory life. It had a broad snout which curved slightly over the lower jaw. Its limbs were slender, and its neck was longer than is typical in a proterosuchid. Thulborn (1979) considered it closely related to Proterosuchus.[1]
References
Long, J.A., Dinosaurs of Australia and New Zealand, UNSW Press 1998
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