PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Thalattosuchia (marine crocodile)

Reptilia

Taxonomy

Thalattosuchia was named by Fraas (1901) [original rank uncertain]. It is not extant. It was considered monophyletic by Gasparini et al. (2000) and Mueller-Töwe (2005) and Jouve (2009).

It was reranked as the unranked clade Thalattosuchia by Jouve et al. (2006), Pierce and Benton (2006), Bronzati et al. (2012), Barrientos-Lara et al. (2018), Martin et al. (2018), Sachs et al. (2019), Foffa et al. (2019) and Scheyer et al. (2024); it was reranked as the infraorder Thalattosuchia by Walker (1970), Buffetaut (1982), Young et al. (2024) and Young et al. (2024).

It was assigned to Crocodilia by Osborn (1904), Roxo (1937), Kuhn (1946) and Charig (1967); to Crocodylia by Walker (1970); to Mesosuchia by Buffetaut (1982); to Crocodylia by Kuhn (1966) and Hua et al. (2000); to Crocodyliformes by Gasparini et al. (2000) and Mueller-Töwe (2005); to Mesoeucrocodylia by Sereno et al. (2001), Sereno et al. (2003) and Pierce and Benton (2006); to Neosuchia by Jouve et al. (2006), Gasparini et al. (2006), Jouve (2009), Martin et al. (2010), Andrade et al. (2011) and Bronzati et al. (2012); and to Crocodylomorpha by Barrientos-Lara et al. (2018), Martin et al. (2018), Foffa et al. (2018), Sachs et al. (2019), Foffa et al. (2019), Young et al. (2024), Young et al. (2024) and Scheyer et al. (2024).

Subtaxa

Eoneustes, Mystriosaurus (syn. Macrospondylus, Engyommasaurus), Neothalattosuchia, Peipehsuchus, Pelagosaurus (syn. Mosellaesaurus), Steneosaurus gerthi, Teleidosaurus, Turnersuchus

Synonyms

Mesosauria was named by Giebel (1847).

It was synonymized subjectively with Thalattosuchia by Karl et al. (2007).
Steneosaurus gerthi was named by Huene (1927).

It was considered a nomen dubium by Gasparini and Fernández (2005).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1847	Mesosauria Giebel
1901	Thalattosuchia Fraas
1904	Thalattosuchia Osborn p. 100
1927	Steneosaurus gerthi Huene
1937	Thalattosuchia Roxo p. 44
1946	Thalattosuchia Kuhn p. 64
1966	Thalattosuchia Kuhn p. 86
1967	Thalattosuchia Charig p. 710
1970	Thalattosuchia Walker p. 369
1982	Thalattosuchia Buffetaut p. 18
2000	Thalattosuchia Gasparini et al.
2000	Thalattosuchia Hua et al. p. 472
2001	Thalattosuchia Sereno et al. p. 1518
2003	Thalattosuchia Sereno et al.
2005	Thalattosuchia Mueller-Töwe
2006	Thalattosuchia Gasparini et al. p. 72
2006	Thalattosuchia Jouve et al.
2006	Thalattosuchia Pierce and Benton p. 622
2009	Thalattosuchia Jouve
2010	Thalattosuchia Martin et al.
2011	Thalattosuchia Andrade et al.
2012	Thalattosuchia Bronzati et al.
2018	Thalattosuchia Barrientos-Lara et al.
2018	Thalattosuchia Foffa et al.
2018	Thalattosuchia Martin et al.
2019	Thalattosuchia Foffa et al.
2019	Thalattosuchia Sachs et al.
2024	Thalattosuchia Scheyer et al.
2024	Thalattosuchia Young et al. p. 3
2024	Thalattosuchia Young et al. pp. 582, 585

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota

Rank	Name	Author
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida
—	Diapsida	()
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
—	Pseudosuchia	(Zittel 1890)
—	Suchia	Krebs 1974
—	Paracrocodylomorpha
—	Loricata	(Merrem 1820)
—	Crocodylomorpha	()
infraorder	Thalattosuchia	()
infraorder	Thalattosuchia	()

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.

Infraor. †Thalattosuchia Fraas 1901 [marine crocodile]

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G. †Eoneustes Young et al. 2010

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†Eoneustes gaudryi Collot 1905

G. †Mystriosaurus Munster 1834

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†Mystriosaurus laurillardi Kaup 1837

Invalid names: Steneosaurus brevior Tate and Blake 1876 [synonym]

Invalid names: Engyommasaurus Kaup 1834 [synonym], Macrospondylus Meyer 1830 [synonym]

Unr. †Neothalattosuchia Young et al. 2024

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Superfm. †Metriorhynchoidea Young 2010

Unr. †Euthalattosuchia Young et al. 2024

Fm. †Metriorhynchidae Fitzinger 1843

G. †Capellineosuchus Romer 1966

Subfm. †Geosaurinae Lydekker 1889

Subfm. †Metriorhynchinae Buchy 2008

Invalid names: Aggiosaurus Ambayrac 1913 [nomen dubium], Geosauridae Bonaparte 1850 [synonym]

G. †Magyarosuchus Osi et al. 2018

†Magyarosuchus fitosi Osi et al. 2018

G. †Opisuchus Aiglstorfer et al. 2019

†Opisuchus meieri Aiglstorfer et al. 2019

G. †Zoneait Wilberg 2015

†Zoneait nargorum Wilberg 2015

Superfm. †Teleosauroidea Saint-Hilaire 1831

G. †Andrianavoay Johnson et al. 2020

†Andrianavoay baroni Newton 1893

G. †Charitomenosuchus Johnson et al. 2020

†Charitomenosuchus leedsi Andrews 1909

Invalid names: Stenosaurus teleosauroides Auer 1909 [synonym]

G. †Clovesuurdameredeor Johnson et al. 2020

†Clovesuurdameredeor stephani Hulke 1877

G. †Deslongchampsina Johnson et al. 2019

†Deslongchampsina larteti Eudes-Deslongchamps 1869

Fm. †Machimosauridae Jouve et al. 2016

Subfm. †Machimosaurinae Jouve et al. 2016

Tr. †Machimosaurini Jouve et al. 2016

G. †Neosteneosaurus Johnson et al. 2020

†Neosteneosaurus edwardsi Eudes-Deslongchamps 1867

G. †Plagiophthalmosuchus Johnson et al. 2020

†Plagiophthalmosuchus gracilirostris Westphal 1961

Invalid names: Teleosaurus chapmanni Buckland 1836 [synonym]

G. †Seldsienean Johnson et al. 2020

†Seldsienean megistorhynchus Saint-Hilaire 1866

Fm. †Teleosauridae Geoffroy 1831

Tr. †Aeolodontini Johnson et al. 2022

G. †Aeolodon von Meyer 1830

Invalid names: Palaeosaurus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1833 [synonym]

G. †Bathysuchus Foffa et al. 2019

G. †Mycterosuchus Andrews 1913

G. †Sericodon Meyer 1845

G. †Crocodilaemus Jourdan 1857

†Crocodilaemus robustus Jourdan 1857

G. †Haematosaurus Sauvage 1874

†Haematosaurus lanceolatus Sauvage 1874

G. †Indosinosuchus Martin et al. 2018

†Indosinosuchus kalasinensis Johnson et al. 2020

†Indosinosuchus potamosiamensis Martin et al. 2018

G. †Steneosaurus Saint-Hilaire 1825

†Steneosaurus aalensis Meyer 1842

†Steneosaurus atelestatus Eudes-Deslongchamps 1863

†Steneosaurus blumembachi Eudes-Deslongchamps 1868

†Steneosaurus brevidens Phillips 1871

†Steneosaurus brevirostris Owen 1842

†Steneosaurus dasycephalus Seeley 1869

†Steneosaurus durobrivensis Andrews 1909

†Steneosaurus heberti Morel de Glasville 1876

Invalid names: Steneosaurus depressus Phizackerley 1951 [synonym], Steneosaurus meretrix Phizackerley 1951 [synonym]

†Steneosaurus lyceense Costa 1864

Invalid names: Streptospondylus lyceense Costa 1864 [objective synonym]

†Steneosaurus megarhinus Hulke 1871

†Steneosaurus oplites Eudes-Deslongchamps 1863

†Steneosaurus pictaviensis Bronzati et al. 2012

†Steneosaurus priscus Bronzati et al. 2012

†Steneosaurus roissyi Eudes-Deslongchamps 1868

†Steneosaurus rostrominor Saint-Hilaire 1825

†Steneosaurus rudis Sauvage 1874

†Steneosaurus temporalis Owen 1884

Invalid names: Glaphyrorhynchus Meyer 1842 [synonym], Leptocranius Bronn 1837 [synonym], Machimosaurus bathonicus Sauvage 1874 [nomen dubium], Machimosaurus rigauxi Sauvage 1874 [nomen dubium], Steneosaurus rostromajor Saint-Hilaire 1825 [nomen dubium]

Subfm. †Teleosaurinae Saint-Hilaire 1831

G. †Platysuchus Westphal 1961

G. †Teleosaurus Geoffroy 1825

Invalid names: Aeolodontinae Johnson et al. 2020 [empty], Megalosaurus mersensis Lapparent 1955 [nomen dubium]

G. †Peipehsuchus Young 1948

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†Peipehsuchus teleorhinus Young 1948

G. †Pelagosaurus Bronn 1841

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†Pelagosaurus typus Bronn 1841

Invalid names: Crocodilus temporalis de Blainville 1835 [synonym], Mosellaesaurus rostrominor Monard 1846 [synonym]

Invalid names: Mosellaesaurus Monard 1846 [synonym]

G. †Teleidosaurus Eudes-Deslongchamps 1869

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†Teleidosaurus calvadosii Eudes-Deslongchamps 1866

†Teleidosaurus joberti Eudes-Deslongchamps 1867

Invalid names: Teleidosaurus bathonicus Mercier 1933 [nomen dubium]

G. †Turnersuchus Wilberg et al. 2023

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†Turnersuchus hingleyae Wilberg et al. 2023

Invalid names: Mesosauria Giebel 1847 [synonym], Steneosaurus gerthi Huene 1927 [nomen dubium]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
M. T. Young et al. 2024	Crocodylomorphs with the following unique combination of characters (11): loss of planar skull table morphology (reversal to non-crocodyliform and non-hallopodid condition) (185.0); lack of longitudinal groove on the squamosal (shared with Iharkutosuchus, reversal from the crocodyliform condition) (250.0); temporal bars oblique and anteriorly convergent, giving the skull roof a trapezoidal outline in dorsal view (shared with Dyrosauroidea, paralligatorids, and numerous other acquisitions within Notosuchia and Neosuchia) (255: 1); paroccipital process with a proportionally robust, thickened lateral/ventrolateral edge (shared with Goniopholididae, Tethysuchia, Paralligatoridae, Bernissartiidae, Hylaeochampsidae, and Allodaposuchidae) (416: 1); large region of the exoccipitals exposed ventral to the paroccipital processes (shared with Protosuchidae, Notochampsidae, Notosuchidae, and Sphagesauridae) (433: 1); proötic exposed in dorsal view within the supratemporal fossa (reversal to the non-crocodyliform condition) (443.0); lack of contact between the laterosphenoid and quadrate (reversal to non-crocodyliform and non-hallopodid condition) (470.0); quadrate anteroventral process free of bony attachment along its anteromedial surface, but contacts the pterygoid ventrally (472.2); tympanic membrane fossa restricted to the posterolateral corner of the skull (477.1); retroarticular process is triangular in shape (shared with the notosuchian Araripesuchus tsangatsangana, the goniopholidid Sunosuchus, the pholidosaurids Sarcosuchus and Terminonaris, the paralligatorid Kansajasuchus, Bernissartiidae, Susisuchidae, and Eusuchia) (571: 0); absence of laminar presacral hypapophyses (optimization of character unclear) (688.0).