Thursday, February 2, 2012

[Paleontology • 2009] Coringasuchus anisodontis • A new crocodyliform from the Alcântara Formation (Cenomanian), Cajual Island, Brazil



Abstract
A new mesoeucrocodylian (Crocodyliformes) is described from the Laje do Coringa site, earliest Late Cretaceous (early Cenomanian) of the São Luís Basin, northeastern Brazil. Due to the likely hetorodonty indicated by distinct alveoli shapes, Coringasuchus anisodontis gen. et sp. nov. is tentatively referred to the Notosuchia and distinguished from other members of this clade by the presence of obliquely implanted teeth with the main axis directed anterolingually-toposterolabially and the presence of alveoli that are distinctively raised above the level of the dorsal margin of the dentary. The material further confirms the interpretation that the fossil concentration of the Laje do Coringa site is the result of multiple reworking events from previous deposits, but the degree of time-averaging was possibly higher than previously suspected.

Key words: Coringasuchus anisodontis, Mesoeucrocodylia, early Cenomanian, Maranhão, Brazil, Alcântara Formation, Laje do Coringa


Kellner, A.W.A.; Pinheiro, A.E.P.; Azevedo, S.A.K.; Henriques, D.D.R.; de Carvalho, L.B.; and Oliveira, G.R. 2009. A new crocodyliform from the Alcântara Formation (Cenomanian),Cajual Island, Brazil. Zootaxa 2030: 49–58.