Biology:Melitosaurus

Short description: Species of reptile (fossil)

Melitosaurus Temporal range: Miocene, 23.03–20.43 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Archosauromorpha
Clade:	Archosauriformes
Order:	Crocodilia
Family:	Gavialidae
Subfamily:	Tomistominae
Genus:	†Melitosaurus Owen, 1850
Species
†Melitosaurus champsoides Owen, 1850 (type)

Melitosaurus is an extinct genus of gavialid crocodylian discovered in Gozo, Malta in Early Miocene Aquitanian stage marine limestone rock in 1850. It is related to the extant (living) False gharial and a member of the same subfamily Tomistominae, as shown in the cladogram below:

Crocodyloidea   Gavialoidea     †Maroccosuchus zennaroi     †Megadontosuchus arduini     †Dollosuchoides densmorei     †Xaymacachampsa kugleri       †Kentisuchus astrei     †Kentisuchus spenceri       Gavialidae   †Tomistoma cairense     †Tomistoma coppensi     †Maomingosuchus petrolica   Tomistominae   Tomistoma schlegelii, false gharial       †Tomistoma lusitanicum       †Gavialosuchus eggenburgensis       †Melitosaurus champsoides     †Tomistoma calaritanum     †Tomistoma gaudense       †Thecachampsa carolinensis     †Thecachampsa antiqua             Gavialinae   †Paratomistoma courti         †Penghusuchus pani       †Toyotamaphimeia machikanensis     †Hanyusuchus sinensis             †Eosuchus lerichei     †Eosuchus minor         †Ocepesuchus eoafricanus       †Eothoracosaurus mississippiensis       †Thoracosaurus macrorhynchus     †Thoracosaurus neocesariensis           †Aktiogavialis puertoricensis     †Eogavialis africanum       †Argochampsa krebsi       †Piscogavialis jugaliperforatus       †Ikanogavialis gameroi       †Siquisiquesuchus venezuelensis       †Dadagavialis gunai       †Gryposuchus neogaeus     †Gryposuchus croizati       †Aktiogavialis caribesi     †Gryposuchus pachakamue           †Gryposuchus colombianus     †Rhamphosuchus crassidens     †Myanmar gavialid     †Gavialis lewisi     †Gavialis bengawanicus       Gavialis gangeticus, gharial     †Siwalik Gavialis

References

Wikidata ☰ Q41155443 entry