Tyrannoneustes

Tyrannoneustes
Temporal range: Middle Jurassic
Skull
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Crocodylomorpha
Suborder: Thalattosuchia
Family: Metriorhynchidae
Subfamily: Geosaurinae
Genus: Tyrannoneustes
Young et al., 2013
Type species
Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos
Young et al., 2013
Restoration

Tyrannoneustes is an extinct genus of geosaurine metriorhynchid crocodyliform from the Middle Jurassic Oxford Clay Formation of England. It contains a single species, Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos, meaning "blood-biting tyrant swimmer".[1][2] The genus was rediscovered after a century of storage in a museum basement after being unearthed by fossil hunter Alfred Nicholson Leeds between the years of 1907 and 1909. Its lower jaw measured about 26 inches long and its teeth were blade-like, likely built to attack prey as large or larger than itself, similar to the Late Jurassic Dakosaurus, Torvoneustes, and Plesiosuchus.[2]

References

  1. Young, M. T.; De Andrade, M. B.; Brusatte, S. L.; Sakamoto, M.; Liston, J. (2013). "The oldest known metriorhynchid super-predator: A new genus and species from the Middle Jurassic of England, with implications for serration and mandibular evolution in predacious clades". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology: 1. doi:10.1080/14772019.2012.704948.
  2. 1 2 Charles Choi (2013-01-30). "Ancient 'super-croc' fossil discovered in museum drawer: And they didn't call enormous Tyrannoneustes 'blood-biting tyrant swimmer' for nothing".
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