Ogresuchus

Ogresuchus; Temporal range: Maastrichtian; ~67.6–66 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Skeletal
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Archosauria
Clade:	Pseudosuchia
Clade:	Crocodylomorpha
Clade:	Crocodyliformes
Clade:	†Notosuchia
Clade:	†Sebecosuchia
Clade:	†Sebecia
Family:	†Sebecidae
Genus:	†Ogresuchus; Sellés et al., 2020
Species:	†O. furatus
Binomial name
	†Ogresuchus furatus; Sellés et al., 2020

Ogresuchus is an extinct sebecid known from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian stage) Tremp Formation in Spain. It is the oldest known member of the Sebecidae and it is also the only known Mesozoic sebecid. The type species, O. furatus, was named in 2020. It was a small crocodilian, measuring 1.09 m (3.6 ft) long and weighing about 9 kg (20 lb).^[1]

Discovery and naming

The holotype was discovered in July 2013 at the Mirador del Cretaci site, but it was stolen before palaeontologists could excavate it. After several weeks of searching, the Mossos d'Esquadra Historical Heritage Unit tracked down the stolen specimen and the thief was promptly arrested. The holotype was in a rather precarious state of conservation until it was correctly prepared several years later.

It was named Ogresuchus furatus in 2020 and the holotype is now on display at the Coll de Nargó Dinosaur Museum (Dinosfera). The generic name means "Ogre crocodile", referring to its possible diet of infant sauropods, which the specific name is derived from a Latin word being "to be stolen", referring to the theft of the specimen.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Sellés, A. G.; Blanco, A.; Vila, B.; Marmi, J.; López-Soriano, F. J.; Llácer, S.; Frigola, J.; Canals, M.; Galobart, À. (2020). "A small Cretaceous crocodyliform in a dinosaur nesting ground and the origin of sebecids". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): Article number 15293. Bibcode:2020NatSR..1015293S. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-71975-y. PMC 7499430. PMID 32943663. S2CID 221786723.

External links

Enrico de Lazaro: Small Cretaceous Crocodile May Have Preyed on Baby Titanosaurs. On: sci-news. Oct 5, 2020
A. G. Sellés et al. 2020. A small Cretaceous crocodyliform in a dinosaur nesting ground and the origin of sebecids. In: Sci Rep 10, 15293; 17 September 2020; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-71975-y