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Crocodylus (crocodile)

Reptilia

Taxonomy
Crocodylus was named by Laurenti (1768). It is extant. Its type is Crocodylus niloticus.

It was corrected as Crocodilus by Leidy (1873) and Perrier (1928); it was misspelled as Crocodilus by Cope (1875), Hay (1902), Andrews (1906), Lambe (1908), Hay (1930), Mook (1962), Miller (1967), Sahni and Mishra (1975), Miller (1980), Carroll (1988), Willis (1993), Morgan (1994), Frank and Ramus (1996), Lang and Guilette (2002), Pol and Norell (2004), Cisneros (2005), Zaher et al. (2006), Larsson and Sues (2007), Jouve et al. (2008), Martin and Buffetaut (2008), Fiorelli and Calvo (2008), Burney et al. (2008), Nascimento and Zaher (2011), Puértolas et al. (2011), Rio and Mannion (2021) and Hekkala et al. (2021).

It was assigned to Dactylopodes by Meyer (1845); to Sauria by Leidy (1860); to Crocodilia by Owen (1842) and Leidy (1873); to Crocodilidae by d'Orbigny (1849), Cope (1875), Andrews (1906), Lambe (1908) and Perrier (1928); to Crocodilinae by Mook (1962); to Mesoeucrocodylia by Pol and Norell (2004); to Crocodyloidea by Martin and Buffetaut (2008); to Neosuchia by Zaher et al. (2006), Larsson and Sues (2007), Fiorelli and Calvo (2008) and Nascimento and Zaher (2011); to Crocodylidae by Hay (1902), Hay (1930), Miller (1967), Miller (1980), Carroll (1988), Morgan (1994), Frank and Ramus (1996), Lang and Guilette (2002), Cisneros (2005), Burney et al. (2008) and Puértolas et al. (2011); to Crocodylinae by Rio and Mannion (2021); and to Crocodylinae by Sahni and Mishra (1975), Willis (1993), Jouve et al. (2008) and Hekkala et al. (2021).

Species lacking formal opinion data
Sister genera
Limnosaurus

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1768Crocodylus Laurenti
1842Crocodilus Owen p. 65
1845Crocodylus Meyer p. 281
1849Crocodilus d'Orbigny p. 206
1860Crocodilus Leidy p. 146
1868Crocodylus caralitanus Gennari
1871Crocodilus clavis Cope p. 485
1871Crocodilus brevicollis Marsh
1871Crocodylus affinis Marsh
1871Crocodilus liodon Marsh p. 104
1871Crocodilus grinnelli Marsh p. 105
1872Crocodilus clavis Cope
1872Limnosaurus Marsh p. 309
1873Crocodilus Leidy p. 125
1875Crocodilus liodon Cope p. 33
1875Crocodilus Cope p. 54
1882Crocodilus acer Cope
1882Crocodylus acer Cope
1890Crocodylus caralitanus Capellini
1890Tomistoma calaritanum Capellini
1890Crocodylus bambolii Ristori
1902Crocodylus Hay p. 512
1902Crocodylus acer Hay p. 512
1902Crocodylus affinis Hay p. 512
1902Crocodylus brevicollis Hay p. 512
1902Crocodylus clavis Hay p. 512
1902Crocodylus grinnellii Hay p. 512
1902Crocodylus liodon Hay p. 513
1902Limnosaurus Hay p. 514
1906Crocodilus Andrews p. 261
1908Crocodilus Lambe
1921Crocodylus affinis Mook p. 1
1921Crocodylus acer Mook p. 117
1925Crocodilus grinnelli herpichanus Troxell
1926Crocodylus niloticus kaisensis Swinton
1928Crocodilus Perrier p. 3089
1930Crocodylus Hay p. 151
1930Crocodylus acer Hay p. 153
1930Crocodylus affinis Hay p. 153
1930Crocodylus clavis Hay p. 153
1930Crocodylus grinnelli Hay p. 153
1930Crocodylus liodon Hay p. 154
1930Limnosaurus Hay p. 155
1933Crocodilus clavis Mook p. 7
1962Brachyuranochampsa zangerli Mook p. 1 figs. 1-2
1962Crocodylus Mook p. 5
1967Crocodylus Miller p. 230
1975Crocodylus Sahni and Mishra
1980Crocodylus Miller p. 773
1988Crocodylus Carroll
1993Crocodylus Willis p. 96
1994Crocodylus Morgan p. 467
1996Crocodylus Frank and Ramus
2000Crocodylus affinis Zonneveld et al.
2002Crocodylus Lang and Guilette p. 213
2004Tomistoma calaritanum Kotsakis et al.
2004Crocodylus Pol and Norell
2005Crocodylus Cisneros p. 242
2006Crocodylus Zaher et al.
2007Crocodylus Larsson and Sues
2008Crocodylus Burney et al. p. 19
2008Crocodylus Fiorelli and Calvo
2008Crocodylus Jouve et al.
2008Crocodylus Martin and Buffetaut
2011Crocodylus Nascimento and Zaher
2011Crocodylus Puértolas et al.
2020Tomistoma calaritanum Nicholl et al.
2021Crocodylus Hekkala et al.
2021Crocodylus Rio and Mannion

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
Romeriida
Diapsida()
RankNameAuthor
Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
Crocopoda
ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
Eucrocopoda
Archosauria()
Pseudosuchia(Zittel 1890)
SuchiaKrebs 1974
Paracrocodylomorpha
Loricata(Merrem 1820)
Crocodylomorpha()
Solidocrania
suborderCrocodyliformes
MesoeucrocodyliaWhetstone and Whybrow 1983
NeosuchiaClark 1988
suborderEusuchiaHuxley 1875
Crocodylia(Owen 1842)
LongirostresCuvier
Crocodyloidea(Deraniyagala 1939)
Crocodylidae(Cuvier 1807)
Crocodylinae(Cuvier 1807)
genusCrocodylusLaurenti 1768

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. Crocodylus Laurenti 1768 [crocodile]
show all | hide all
Subg. †Crocodilus (Ichthyosuchus) Cope 1872
Crocodilus antiquus Leidy 1852
Crocodilus biporcatus Cuvier 1807
Crocodilus ziphodon Marsh 1871
Subg. †Crocodylus (Leptorhynchus) Cautley and Falconer 1840
+
Crocodylus (Leptorhynchus) crassidens Cautley and Falconer 1840
Crocodylus (Leptorhynchus) gangeticus Cautley and Falconer 1840
Crocodylus acutus Cuvier 1807 [American crocodile]
Crocodylus americanus Laurenti 1768 [American crocodile]
Crocodylus anthropophagus Brochu et al. 2010
Crocodylus aptus Leidy 1869
Crocodylus chamensis Cope 1874
Crocodylus checchiai Maccagno 1947
Crocodylus elliotti Leidy 1871
Crocodylus falconensis Scheyer et al. 2013
Crocodylus gariepensis Pickford 2003
Crocodylus gaudense Hulke 1871
Crocodylus greenwoodi Suneja et al. 1977
Crocodylus grypus Cope 1875
Crocodylus johnstoni Krefft 1873 [Freshwater crocodile]
Crocodylus megarhinus Andrews 1905
+
Invalid names: Crocodilus articeps Andrews 1905 [synonym]
Crocodylus moreletii Dumeril and Bibron 1851 [Morelet's crocodile]
Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti 1768 [Nile crocodile]
+
Invalid names: Crocodylus madagascariensis Grandidier 1872 [synonym]
Crocodylus palaeindicus Falconer 1859
+
Invalid names: Crocodylus sivalensis Lydekker 1886 [synonym]
Crocodylus palustris Lesson 1831 [mugger crocodile]
Crocodylus parvus Osborn et al. 1878
Crocodylus polyodon Cope 1873
Crocodylus porosus Schneider 1801 [saltwater crocodile]
+
Invalid names: Crocodylus nathani Longman 1924 [synonym]
Crocodylus rhombifer Cuvier 1807 [Cuban crocodile]
+
Invalid names: Crocodylus antillensis Varona 1966 [synonym], Crocodylus pristinus Leidy 1868 [synonym]
Crocodylus siamensis Schneider 1801 [Siamese crocodile]
+
Invalid names: Crocodylus ossifragus Dubois 1908 [synonym]
Crocodylus solaris Marsh 1877
Crocodylus subulatus Cope 1872
Crocodylus suchus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1807 [West African crocodile]
Crocodylus sulciferus Cope 1872
Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni Brochu and Storrs 2012
Crocodylus wheelerii Cope 1875
Invalid names: Crocodylus acer Cope 1882 [nomen dubium], Crocodylus affinis Marsh 1871 [nomen dubium], Crocodylus bambolii Ristori 1890 [nomen dubium], Crocodylus caralitanus Capellini 1890 [nomen oblitum], Crocodylus niloticus kaisensis Swinton 1926 [nomen dubium], Crocodylus ziphodon Marsh 1871 [nomen nudum], Limnosaurus Marsh 1872 [nomen nudum]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: marineuc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Diet: carnivoreuc
Created: 2009-01-03 20:38:59
Modified: 2009-01-03 22:38:59
Source: c = class, subp = subphylum, uc = unranked clade
References: Carroll 1988, Benton 1983, Bush and Bambach 2015, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Campanian to the top of the Holocene or 83.60000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 72.1 Ma

Collections (282 total)

Oldest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Campanian83.6 - 72.1New Zealand (South Island) Crocodilus sp. (101382)
Selandian - Thanetian61.6 - 56.0Mali Crocodilus sp. (83984)
Eocene56.0 - 33.9USA (Wyoming) Crocodilus aptus (198892)
Wasatchian55.8 - 50.3USA (Utah) Crocodilus acer (167729)
Wasatchian55.8 - 50.3USA (Wyoming) Crocodilus sp. (180111) Crocodylus affinis (15665) Glyptosaurus sp. (131859)
Early/Lower Eocene55.8 - 48.6China (Jiangxi) Crocodylus sp. (182565)
Wasatchian - Bridgerian55.8 - 46.2USA (Wyoming) Crocodylus affinis (15669)
Bridgerian50.3 - 46.2USA (Wyoming) Crocodilus elliottii (16414) Crocodilus grinnelli (16282 167354) Crocodylus affinis (15837 16235 16264 16265 16266 16267 16268 16270 16272 16273 16274 70257) Crocodylus affinis, Brachyuranochampsa zangerli, Crocodilus ziphodon, Crocodilus liodon, Crocodilus brevicollis (16228) Crocodylus affinis, Crocodylus acer (27269)
MP 1148.6 - 40.4Germany (Hessen) Crocodilus ebertsi (22701)
Middle Eocene48.6 - 37.2USA (Wyoming) Crocodilus aptus (81455)
Lutetian47.8 - 41.3USA (Texas) Crocodylus sp. (209370 209371)
Uintan46.2 - 40.4USA (Utah) Crocodilus clavis (16656)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9USA (Louisiana) Crocodylus sp. (75638)
Early/Lower Oligocene33.9 - 28.4Egypt Crocodylus sp. (187873 187874)
Rupelian33.9 - 28.1Egypt (Fayum) Crocodilus articeps, Crocodilus megarhinus (65960) Crocodilus megarhinus (144514)
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97Kenya Crocodylus niloticus (70808)
Miocene - Pliocene23.03 - 2.588Nepal Crocodylus palustris (222975)
Neogene23.03 - 2.588Myanmar Crocodilus vulgaris, Leptorhynchus sp. (215569)
MN 222.4 - 20.0Pakistan (Balochistan) Crocodylus bugtiensis (77776 77777 77778)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Kenya (Nyanza) Crocodylus sp. (92703)