Saltoposuchus

Fossil evidence of Sphenosuchia and early crocodylomorphs lead paleontologists to conclude that Saltoposuchus is a terrestrial animal. Saltoposuchus has a long pointed skull and sharp, flattened teeth adapted for carnivory. Saltoposuchus was likely fast and nimble. In the wrists of Saltoposuchus, the radiale and ulnare are elongated into rod shaped elements instead of being button-shaped, which is a shared characteristic among crocodylomorphs. == Discovery ==

Saltoposuchus connectens and Saltoposuchus longipes were discovered and named by German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1921. Both species were found in the Burrer Quarry, Pfaffenhofen, which is an Alaunian terrestrial sandstone/marl in the Löwenstein Formation of south-west Germany. The Löwenstein Formation has been dated back to 215.6 - 212.0 Ma, which dates back to the Late Triassic Period. Fossils have also been found in the Trossingen Formation (also located in Germany), and the Lossiemouth Sandstone formation. Both species were found to be synonymous in a 2023 study == Geographical/historical information ==

Fossils found in Germany indicate that Saltoposuchus existed in Europe, or more appropriately, Laurasia. The Mesozoic Era has been regarded as "The Age of Reptiles" so Saltoposuchus lived among many different species including the earliest species of pterosaurs and other bipedal reptilians. conifer forests started to recover, species started occupying and thriving in newly found ecological niches, Pangaea started splitting into Laurasia and Gondwana, and the air was very arid with hot summers and cold winters. After marine life had been wiped out by the mass extinction event, the Triassic waters were populated with very few families of fish. The Triassic Period showed the first development of modern stony corals and a time of modest reef building activity in the shallower waters of the Tethys near the coasts of Pangaea. During the Mesozoic Era, early mammals, reptilian species, and other insects populated the land. Arthropods that had survived the mass extinction and were existing during this time include spiders, scorpions, millipedes, centipedes, and a newer group of beetles. Related species Sister groups to Saltoposuchus include Gracilisuchus, Hesperosuchus, Dromicosuchus, Dibothrosuchus, Terrestrisuchus, Litargosuchus, Kayentasuchus. These genera are known the Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic. All of these genera are part of the Sphenosuchia clade, have similar morphology. Sphenosuchia are ancestors to crocodyliformes, which constitute modern crocodilians. == References ==