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Alligator (alligator)
Taxonomy
Alligator was named by Daudin (1809). It is extant.
It was assigned to Dactylopodes by Meyer (1845); to Crocodilidae by Cope (1875); to Crocodylidae by Hay (1902), Hay (1930); to Alligatoridae by White (1942), Carroll (1988), Frank and Ramus (1996), Lang and Guilette (2002); to Mesoeucrocodylia by Pol and Norell (2004); to Neosuchia by Wu et al. (1994), Zaher et al. (2006), Larsson and Sues (2007), Fiorelli and Calvo (2008), Nascimento and Zaher (2011); to Alligatoroidea by Puértolas et al. (2011); to Alligatorinae by Wu et al. (1996), Brochu (1999), Snyder (2007), Jouve et al. (2008), Martin and Lauprasert (2010), Pinheiro et al. (2013); to Globidonta by Martin and Buffetaut (2008), Farke et al. (2014); and to Alligatorinae by Rio and Mannion (2021).
It was assigned to Dactylopodes by Meyer (1845); to Crocodilidae by Cope (1875); to Crocodylidae by Hay (1902), Hay (1930); to Alligatoridae by White (1942), Carroll (1988), Frank and Ramus (1996), Lang and Guilette (2002); to Mesoeucrocodylia by Pol and Norell (2004); to Neosuchia by Wu et al. (1994), Zaher et al. (2006), Larsson and Sues (2007), Fiorelli and Calvo (2008), Nascimento and Zaher (2011); to Alligatoroidea by Puértolas et al. (2011); to Alligatorinae by Wu et al. (1996), Brochu (1999), Snyder (2007), Jouve et al. (2008), Martin and Lauprasert (2010), Pinheiro et al. (2013); to Globidonta by Martin and Buffetaut (2008), Farke et al. (2014); and to Alligatorinae by Rio and Mannion (2021).
Species
A. darwini (syn. Crocodilus brauniorum, Crocodilus bruchi, Crocodylus ebertsi, Crocodilus rahti, Crocodilus medius), A. gaudryi, A. hailensis, A. hantoniensis, A. luicus, A. mcgrewi, A. mefferdi, A. mississippiensis, A. munensis, A. olseni, A. prenasalis (syn. Allognathosuchus riggsi, Caimanoidea visheri), A. sinensis, A. thomsoni
Species lacking formal opinion data
Entered
by J. Head on 2003-01-23; modified by P. Mannion on 2021-09-16
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1809 | Alligator Daudin |
| 1845 | Alligator Meyer p. 281 |
| 1875 | Alligator Cope p. 54 |
| 1902 | Alligator Hay p. 514 |
| 1930 | Alligator Hay p. 156 |
| 1942 | Alligator White p. 7 |
| 1988 | Alligator Carroll |
| 1994 | Alligator Wu et al. |
| 1996 | Alligator Frank and Ramus |
| 1996 | Alligator Wu et al. |
| 1999 | Alligator Brochu |
| 2002 | Alligator Lang and Guilette p. 213 |
| 2004 | Alligator Pol and Norell |
| 2006 | Alligator Zaher et al. |
| 2007 | Alligator Larsson and Sues |
| 2007 | Alligator Snyder p. 918 |
| 2008 | Alligator Fiorelli and Calvo |
| 2008 | Alligator Jouve et al. |
| 2008 | Alligator Martin and Buffetaut |
| 2010 | Alligator Martin and Lauprasert |
| 2011 | Alligator Nascimento and Zaher |
| 2011 | Alligator Puértolas et al. |
| 2013 | Alligator Pinheiro et al. |
| 2014 | Alligator Farke et al. |
| 2021 | Alligator Rio and Mannion |
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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. Alligator Daudin 1809 [alligator]
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†Alligator darwini Ludwig 1877
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Invalid names: Crocodilus brauniorum von Meyer 1843 [synonym], Crocodilus bruchi von Meyer 1843 [synonym], Crocodilus medius von Meyer 1843 [synonym], Crocodilus rahti von Meyer 1843 [synonym], Crocodylus ebertsi Ludwig 1877 [synonym]
†Alligator gaudryi de Stefano 1905
†Alligator hailensis Stout 2020
†Alligator hantoniensis Wood 1846
†Alligator luicus Li and Wang 1987
†Alligator mcgrewi Schmidt 1941
†Alligator mefferdi Mook 1946
Alligator mississippiensis Daudin 1801 [American alligator]
†Alligator munensis Darlim et al. 2023
†Alligator olseni White 1942
†Alligator prenasalis Loomis 1904
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Invalid names: Allognathosuchus riggsi Patterson 1931 [synonym], Caimanoidea visheri Mehl 1916 [synonym]
Alligator sinensis Fauvel 1879 [Chinese alligator]
†Alligator thomsoni Mook 1923
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: c = class, subp = subphylum, p = phylum, uc = unranked clade | |||||
| References: Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Benton 1983, Kiessling 2004, Bambach et al. 2007, Bush and Bambach 2015 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the MP 13 to the top of the Holocene or 48.07000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 41.03 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 41.03 Ma
Collections (116 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP 11 | Germany (Hessen) | Alligator darwini (22701 120036) | |
| MP 13 - MP 19 | France | Alligator gaudryi (234666) | |
| Duchesnean | USA (Utah) | Alligator sp. (16877) | |
| Duchesnean | USA (South Dakota) | Allognathosuchus riggsi (16823) | |
| MP 17A - MP 17B | United Kingdom (England) | Alligator hantoniensis (28747) | |
| Priabonian | United Kingdom (England) | Alligator hantoniensis (39643) | |
| Chadronian | USA (Nebraska) | Alligator sp. (179707 179708) | |
| Chadronian | USA (South Dakota) | Alligator prenasalis (16885 16938 99855) Allognathosuchus riggsi (99708) Caimanoidea visheri (99707) Crocodilus prenasalis (99709 99711) | |
| Oligocene - MN 1 | Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate) | Crocodilus bruchi, Crocodilus rahti, Crocodilus medius, Crocodilus brauniorum (239764) | |
| Oligocene - Middle Miocene | Germany (Hessen) | Alligator darwini (239770) | |
| Arikareean | USA (Florida) | Alligatoridae indet. (17476) | |
| Aquitanian | USA (Texas) | Alligator olseni (18663) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | USA (Florida) | Alligator olseni (18537) | |
| Burdigalian | China (Jiangsu) | Alligator sp. (41812) | |
| Burdigalian | China (Shandong) | Alligator luicus (41810) | |
| Early/Lower Hemingfordian | USA (Nebraska) | Alligator sp., Alligator mcgrewi (17865) | |
| Hemingfordian | USA (Texas) | Alligator sp. (18626) | |
| Hemingfordian | USA (Florida) | Alligator olseni (18561 18597) | |
| Barstovian | USA (Texas) | Alligator indet. (140202) Alligator sp. (18619 18627 18628 207493) | |
| Early/Lower Barstovian | USA (Nebraska) | Alligator thomsoni (18004) | |
| Early/Lower Barstovian | USA (Texas) | Alligator sp. (18630 18665) | |
| Barstovian - Hemphillian | USA (Oklahoma) | Alligator sp. (170185) | |
| Clarendonian | USA (Texas) | Alligator sp. (18610 18611 18623 18640 18645 207452 207489) | |
| Clarendonian | USA (Nebraska) | Alligator mefferdi (18028) | |
| Late/Upper Clarendonian | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (18554) | |
| Hemphillian | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (18601) Alligator sp. (18556 18560 18564) | |
| early Early Hemphillian - late Early Hemphillian | USA (Florida) | Alligator sp. (18539) | |
| Late/Upper Hemphillian - Blancan | USA (Tennessee) | Alligator sp. (26574) | |
| Messinian | USA (Virginia) | Alligator mississipiensis (179732) | |
| Pliocene - Gelasian | USA (Florida) | Alligator sp. (242028) | |
| Blancan | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (19764) Alligator sp. (19753 113275) | |
| Late/Upper Pliocene | Japan (Kyushu) | Alligator sinensis (180691) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (19750 98313) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | USA (South Carolina) | Alligator sp. (188304) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (South Carolina) | Alligator mississippiensis, Gavialosuchus sp. (65405) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (Texas) | Alligator mississippiensis (156789) Alligator sp. (207484) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (227368) | |
| Calabrian | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (20400 20402) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (58089) Alligator sp. (26550) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Texas) | Alligator mississipiensis (20530) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | Thailand (Nakhon Ratchasima) | Alligator sinensis (144185) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | China (Jiangsu) | Alligator sinensis (180692) | |
| Middle Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Mississippi) | Alligator mississippiensis (164395) | |
| Middle Pleistocene (glacial) | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (75974) | |
| Middle Pleistocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene | China (Guangxi) | Alligator sinensis (235737) | |
| Middle Pleistocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene | China (Guangdong) | Alligator sinensis (13293) | |
| Rancholabrean | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (20440 20491) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial) | USA (Texas) | Alligator mississippiensis (74470 93103) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial) | USA (Georgia) | Alligator mississippiensis (75066) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Texas) | Alligator mississippiensis (85142 230753) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial) | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (154921) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (34269 154804 154805) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Missouri) | Alligator sp. (93379) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial) | USA (Florida) | Alligator sp. (74361) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Georgia) | Alligator mississippiensis (20604 20613) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Taiwan | Alligator sinensis (73686) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississipiensis (20650) | |
| Holocene | China (Henan) | Alligator sinensis (195288) | |
| Holocene | China | Alligator sinensis (224115 224116 224117 224118 224119 224120 224121 224122 224123 224124 224125 224126 224127 224128 224129 224130 224131) | |
| Holocene | USA (Florida) | Alligator mississippiensis (227371) | |
| Holocene | USA (Georgia) | Alligator mississippiensis (152113) | |
| Holocene | China (Shandong) | Alligator sinensis (154960 224112 224113 224114) |