The identification of Parvosuchus aurelioi, a newfound species of primordial predator reptile from the pseudosuchian clade, has been reported in Brazil. Stemming from about 237 million years ago in the Middle-Late Triassic era, this discovery furnishes profound understanding into the assortment of ancient reptiles preceding the ascendance of dinosaurs.
A manuscript presented in Scientific Reports elucidates the unravelling of an ancient predatory reptile termed Parvosuchus aurelioi in Brazil. This entity is categorized amongst crocodilian analogs known as pseudosuchians. Believed to have lived approximately 237 million years back, during the Middle-Late Triassic epoch, this exemplar signifies the primordial detection of a diminutive predatory reptile of its kind in the region.
Before the reign of the dinosaurs, during the Triassic Epoch (252 – 201 million years ago), pseudosuchians represented a predominant group of ancient four-limbed reptiles, with certain varieties ranking among the era’s most formidable carnivores. Petite pseudosuchians, termed gracilisuchids, coexisted with these top-level predators and have been discovered in locations like China and Argentina.
Revelation of Parvosuchus aurelioi
Now, Rodrigo Müller communicates the unveiling of a novel gracilisuchid species grounded on remains unearthed in Brazil’s Santa Maria Formation. The partial fossil, which is dated to around 237 million years ago, includes an intact cranium and mandible, 11 dorsal vertebrae, a pelvis, and limbs that are partially retained. The new species, named Parvosuchus aurelioi, is derived from ‘parvus’ meaning diminutive and ‘suchus’ referencing a crocodile, and is dedicated to amateur paleontologist Pedro Lucas Porcela Aurélio, the discoverer of the fossil remains.
The cranial structure measures 14.4 centimeters and is characterized by elongated slender jaws with pointed backward-curving teeth, alongside several cranial openings. The skeletal framework is delicately structured and is estimated to have been less than one meter in total dimension. These details categorize P. aurelioi as a gracilisuchid and mark it as the inaugural species of this clade to be verified in Brazil, as mentioned by the researcher. This revelation underscores the variety among pseudosuchians in the Triassic, he adds.
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