PBDB Taxon

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

Gavialidae

Reptilia - Gavialidae

Taxonomy

Gavialidae was named by Adams (1854) [parts of craniums, mandibles and isolated teeth]. It is extant.

It was reranked as the unranked clade Gavialidae by Rio and Mannion (2021).

It was assigned to Procoelia by Cope (1871); to Longirostres by Zittel (1890); to Eusuchia by Perrier (1928); to Gavialiformes by Hay (1930); to Eusuchia by Stirton (1953); to Eusuchia by Lortet (1892), Hay (1902), Kuhn (1946), Mook (1962), Kuhn (1966), Carroll (1988), Kraus (1998); to Crocodylia by Frank and Ramus (1996), Lang and Guilette (2002); to Crocodiliformes by Riff et al. (2010); to Crocodylia by Osi et al. (2007), Weems (2018); to Gavialoidea by Brochu et al. (2009), Rio and Mannion (2021); and to Gavialoidea by Burke et al. (2024).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1854	Gavialidae Adams
1871	Gavialidae Cope p. 235
1890	Gavialidae Zittel p. 674
1892	Gavialidae Lortet p. 122
1902	Gavialidae Hay p. 515
1928	Gavialidae Perrier p. 3110
1930	Gavialidae Hay p. 148
1946	Gavialidae Kuhn p. 64
1953	Gavialidae Stirton p. 614
1962	Gavialidae Mook p. 5
1966	Gavialidae Kuhn p. 88
1988	Gavialidae Carroll
1996	Gavialidae Frank and Ramus
1998	Gavialidae Kraus p. 391
2002	Gavialidae Lang and Guilette p. 213
2007	Gavialidae Osi et al.
2009	Gavialidae Brochu et al. p. 538
2010	Gavialidae Riff et al.
2018	Gavialidae Weems p. 218
2021	Gavialidae Rio and Mannion
2024	Gavialidae Burke et al.

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

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
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida

Rank	Name	Author
—	Diapsida	()
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
—	Pseudosuchia	(Zittel 1890)
—	Suchia	Krebs 1974
—	Paracrocodylomorpha
—	Loricata	(Merrem 1820)
—	Crocodylomorpha	()
—	Solidocrania
suborder	Crocodyliformes
—	Mesoeucrocodylia	Whetstone and Whybrow 1983
—	Neosuchia	Clark 1988
suborder	Eusuchia	Huxley 1875
—	Crocodylia	(Owen 1842)
superfamily	Gavialoidea	Brochu 1997
family	Gavialidae	Adams 1854
family	Gavialidae	Adams 1854

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.

Fm. Gavialidae Adams 1854

show all | hide all

G. †Aktiogavialis Vélez-Juarbe et al. 2007

†Aktiogavialis caribesi Salas-Gismondi et al. 2019

†Aktiogavialis puertoricensis Vélez-Juarbe et al. 2007

G. †Argochampsa Hua and Jouve 2004

†Argochampsa krebsi Hua and Jouve 2004

G. †Dadagavialis Salas-Gismondi et al. 2019

†Dadagavialis gunai Salas-Gismondi et al. 2019

G. †Eogavialis Buffetaut 1982

†Eogavialis africanum Andrews 1901

†Eogavialis andrewsi Storrs 2003

†Eogavialis gavialoides Andrews 1905

G. †Eothoracosaurus Brochu 2004

†Eothoracosaurus mississippiensis Brochu 2004

Subfm. Gavialinae Nopcsa 1923

G. †Sutekhsuchus Burke et al. 2024

†Sutekhsuchus dowsoni Fourtau 1918

G. †Gavialinum Jourdan 1892

†Gavialinum rhodani Jourdan 1892

G. Gavialis Oppel 1811 [gharial]

†Gavialis bengawanicus Dubois 1908

†Gavialis browni Mook 1932

Gavialis gangeticus Gmelin 1789 [Gharial]

Invalid names: Gavialis hysudricus Lydekker 1886 [synonym]

†Gavialis lewisi Lull 1944

Gavialis priscus Soemmering 1815

Unr. †Gryposuchinae Vélez-Juarbe et al. 2007

G. †Gryposuchus Gürich 1912

†Gryposuchus colombianus Langston 1965

†Gryposuchus croizati Riff and Aguilera 2008

†Gryposuchus jessei Gürich 1912

†Gryposuchus neogaeus Rusconi 1933

†Gryposuchus pachakamue Salas-Gismondi et al. 2016

G. †Hanyusuchus Iijima et al. 2022

†Hanyusuchus sinensis Iijima et al. 2022

G. †Hesperogavialis Bocquentin Villanueva and Buffetaut 1981

†Hesperogavialis cruxenti Bocquentin Villanueva and Buffetaut 1981

G. †Ikanogavialis Sill 1970

†Ikanogavialis gameroi Sill 1970

G. †Penghusuchus Shan et al. 2009

†Penghusuchus pani Shan et al. 2009

G. †Piscogavialis Kraus 1998

†Piscogavialis jugaliperforatus Kraus 1998

G. †Portugalosuchus Mateus et al. 2019

†Portugalosuchus azenhae Mateus et al. 2019

G. †Rhamphostomopsis Rusconi 1933

†Rhamphostomopsis neogaeus Rusconi 1933

Invalid names: Rhamphostoma neogaea Burmeister 1885 [replaced], Rhamphostomopsis intermedius Rusconi 1935 [synonym]

Invalid names: Rhamphostoma Burmeister 1885 [replaced]

G. †Sacacosuchus Salas-Gismondi et al. 2022

†Sacacosuchus cordovai Salas-Gismondi et al. 2022

G. †Siquisiquesuchus Brochu and Rincón 2004

†Siquisiquesuchus venezuelensis Brochu and Rincón 2004

G. †Thoracosaurus Leidy 1852

†Thoracosaurus borissiaki Efimov 1988

†Thoracosaurus brevispinus Cope 1867

†Thoracosaurus isorhynchus Pomel 1847

†Thoracosaurus macrorhynchus de Blainville 1855

Invalid names: Thoracosaurus scanicus Troedsson 1924 [synonym]

†Thoracosaurus neocesariensis De Kay 1842

Invalid names: Crocodilus clavirostris Morton 1845 [synonym], Crocodilus dekayi Leidy 1852 [objective synonym], Holopsisuchus brevispinus Cope 1869 [synonym], Hyposaurus fraterculus Cope 1869 [synonym], Thoracosaurus meirsanus Troxell 1925 [synonym], Thoracosaurus mullicensis Troxell 1925 [synonym]

Invalid names: Holopsisuchus Kuhn 1961 [synonym], Sphenosaurus Agassiz 1849 [synonym]

Unr. Tomistominae Eastman 1902

G. †Dollosuchus Swinton 1937

G. †Ferganosuchus Efimov 1982

†Ferganosuchus planus Efimov 1982

†Gavialis curvirostris gajensis Pilgrim 1912

G. †Maomingosuchus Shan et al. 2017

†Maomingosuchus acutirostris Massonne et al. 2021

†Maomingosuchus petrolica Yeh 1958

G. †Megadontosuchus Mook 1955

†Megadontosuchus arduini De Zigno 1880

G. †Melitosaurus Owen 1850

†Melitosaurus champsoides Owen 1850

G. †Paratomistoma Brochu and Gingerich 2000

†Paratomistoma courtii Brochu and Gingerich 2000

G. †Rhamphosuchus Lydekker 1886

†Rhamphosuchus crassidens Cautley and Falconer 1840

G. †Sakhibaghoon Malkani et al. 2022

†Sakhibaghoon khizari Malkani et al. 2022

G. Tomistoma Müller 1846 [false gharial]

†Tomistoma borisovi Efimov 1988

†Tomistoma brumpti Joleaud 1920

†Tomistoma calaritanum Capellini 1890

†Tomistoma champsoides Owen 1850

†Tomistoma coppensi Pickford 1994

†Tomistoma gaudense Hulke 1871

†Tomistoma kerunense Andrews 1905

†Tomistoma lusitanica Antunes 1961

†Tomistoma lusitanicum Antunes 1961

Tomistoma schlegelii Müller 1846

†Tomistoma tandoni Sahni and Mishra 1975

Invalid names: Tomistoma cairense Müller 1927 [nomen dubium]

Invalid names: Atacisaurus Astre 1931 [nomen dubium], Atacisaurus glareae Astre 1931 [nomen dubium], Gavialis breviceps Pilgrim 1912 [nomen dubium], Gavialis curvirostris Lydekker 1886 [nomen dubium], Gavialis leptodus Cautley 1868 [nomen dubium], Gavialis pachyrhynchus Lydekker 1886 [nomen dubium], Tomistoma lyceense Costa 1864 [nomen dubium]

G. †Toyotamaphimeia Aoki 1983

†Toyotamaphimeia machikanense Kobatake et al. 1965

†Toyotamaphimeia machikanensis Kobatake et al. 1965

†Toyotamaphimeia taiwanicus Shikama 1972

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
E. Perrier 1928	Museau allongé et étroit; narines internes sur les ptérygoïdes; vertèbres procèles. Ont apparu à l'époque de la Craie supérieure.

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: Bush and Bambach 2015, Benton 1983, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Bathonian to the top of the Holocene or 168.30000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 166.1 Ma

Collections (238 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Oldest occurrences
Bathonian	168.3 - 166.1	France (Rhône-Alpes)	Gavialinum rhodani (200133)
Early/Lower Cretaceous	145.0 - 100.5	China (Sichuan)	Gavialidae indet. (71791 71792)
Late/Upper Cretaceous	100.5 - 66.0	USA (Maryland)	Thoracosaurus neocesariensis (127182)
Late/Upper Cretaceous	100.5 - 66.0	USA (New Jersey)	Holops brevispinus (129263)
Late/Upper Cenomanian	99.6 - 93.5	Portugal	Portugalosuchus azenhae (198029)
Late/Upper Santonian - Middle Campanian	85.8 - 70.6	USA (Georgia)	Thoracosaurus neocesariensis (35289)
Late/Upper Campanian	83.5 - 70.6	USA (New Mexico)	Thoracosaurus sp. (36449)
Late/Upper Campanian - Early/Lower Maastrichtian	83.5 - 66.0	USA (Tennessee)	Eothoracosaurus mississippiensis (108937 108938)
Late/Upper Campanian - Early/Lower Maastrichtian	83.5 - 66.0	USA (New Jersey)	Thoracosaurus mullicensis, Holops glyptodon (52504) Thoracosaurus sp. (57916)
Maastrichtian	72.1 - 66.0	USA (Maryland)	Thoracosaurus neocesariensis (27563 27564 27565 83331)
Maastrichtian	72.1 - 66.0	France	Thoracosaurus macrorhynchus, Thoracosaurus isorhynchus (195628)
Early/Lower Maastrichtian	70.6 - 66.0	Denmark	Thoracosaurus sp. (214429)
Early/Lower Maastrichtian	70.6 - 66.0	USA (Mississippi)	Thoracosaurus neocesariensis (108936)
Lancian	70.6 - 66.0	USA (North Dakota)	Thoracosaurus neocesariensis (14610)
Lancian	70.6 - 66.0	USA (Wyoming)	Thoracosaurus sp. (45844)
Late/Upper Maastrichtian	70.6 - 66.0	Netherlands	Thoracosaurus macrorhynchus (90778)
Late/Upper Maastrichtian	70.6 - 66.0	Ukraine	Thoracosaurus borissiaki (86755)
Late/Upper Maastrichtian	70.6 - 66.0	Spain (Cataluña)	Thoracosaurus sp. (219291)
Late/Upper Maastrichtian	70.6 - 66.0	USA (South Dakota)	Thoracosaurus sp. (224484)
Late/Upper Maastrichtian	70.6 - 66.0	USA (New Jersey)	Holops glyptodon (167780) Hyposaurus fraterculus (87902) Thoracosaurus neocesariensis (129264) Thoracosaurus sp. (167531) Thoracosaurus sp., Thoracosaurus meirsanus (88034)