PBDB Taxon

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

Baryonychinae

Reptilia - Spinosauridae

Taxonomy

Baryonychidae was named by Charig and Milner (1986).

It was reranked as the subfamily Baryonychinae by Sereno et al. (1998), Buffetaut and Ouaja (2002), Holtz et al. (2004), Sánchez-Hernández et al. (2007), Naish and Martill (2007), Buffetaut (2007), Kellner et al. (2011), Mateus et al. (2011), Carrano et al. (2012), Allain et al. (2012), Arden et al. (2019), Malafaia et al. (2020), Barker et al. (2021), Isasmendi et al. (2023) and Carrano (2025).

It was assigned to Theropoda by Charig and Milner (1986) and Charig and Milner (1990); to Theropoda by Molnar (1992); to Carnosauria by Viera and Torres (1995); to Spinosauroidea by Milner (1997), Charig and Milner (1997) and Rauhut (2003); and to Spinosauridae by Sereno et al. (1998), Buffetaut and Ouaja (2002), Holtz et al. (2004), Sánchez-Hernández et al. (2007), Naish and Martill (2007), Buffetaut (2007), Kellner et al. (2011), Mateus et al. (2011), Carrano et al. (2012), Allain et al. (2012), Arden et al. (2019), Malafaia et al. (2020), Barker et al. (2021), Isasmendi et al. (2023) and Carrano (2025).

Subtaxa

Baryonyx, Ceratosuchopsini, Cristatusaurus, Protathlitis, Suchosaurus, Vallibonavenatrix

Synonyms

Suchosaurus girardi was named by Sauvage (1898). Its type specimen is MG324, a mandible, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Boca do Chapim, Cape Espichel, which is in a Barremian lagoonal sandstone in the Papo Seco Formation of Portugal.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Buffetaut (2010), Mateus et al. (2011) and Carrano et al. (2012).
Suchosaurus was named by Owen (1842) [Sepkoski's age data: K Vala K Apti Sepkoski's reference number: 620]. Its type is Crocodilus cultridens.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Carrano et al. (2012).

It was assigned to Saurii by Meyer (1845); to Amphicoelia by Owen (1860) and Owen (1861); to Crocodilidae by d'Orbigny (1849) and Costa (1864); to Loricati by Quenstedt (1882); to Macrorhynchidae by Zittel (1890); to Pholidosauridae by Carroll (1988); to Crocodilia by Owen (1842), Owen (1854), Owen (1878), Sauvage (1896) and Sepkoski (2002); to Spinosauridae by Buffetaut (2010); and to Baryonychinae by Buffetaut (2007), Buffetaut (2008) and Mateus et al. (2011).
Cristatusaurus was named by Taquet and Russell (1998).

It was synonymized subjectively with Baryonyx by Sues et al. (2002) and Buffetaut and Ouaja (2002); it was considered a nomen dubium by Sereno et al. (1998); it was considered a nomen dubium by Rauhut (2003); it was considered a nomen dubium by Carrano et al. (2012).

It was assigned to Spinosauridae by Taquet and Russell (1998); and to Baryonychinae by Holtz et al. (2004), Kellner et al. (2011), Mateus et al. (2011) and Isasmendi et al. (2023).
Cristatusaurus lapparenti was named by Taquet and Russell (1998). Its type specimen is MNHN GDF 366 and is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Niveau des Innocents, Gadoufaoua, which is in an Aptian terrestrial horizon in the Elrhaz Formation of Niger.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Sereno et al. (1998); it was considered a nomen dubium by Buffetaut and Ouaja (2002) and Rauhut (2003); it was considered a nomen dubium by Carrano et al. (2012).
Crocodilus cultridens was named by Owen (1841). Its type specimen is NHM R36536, a tooth, and it is a 3D body fossil. It is the type species of Suchosaurus.

It was recombined as Suchosaurus cultridens by Owen (1842), Owen (1842), Mantell (1851), Owen (1861), Costa (1864), Seeley (1869), Owen (1878), Lydekker (1888), Sauvage (1896), Sauvage (1898), Royo y Gomez (1927), Bataller (1960), Buffetaut (2007) and Buffetaut (2010); it was misspelled as Succhosaurus cultridens by Plieninger (1846) and Quenstedt (1882); it was considered a nomen dubium by Mateus et al. (2011) and Carrano et al. (2012).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1841	Crocodilus cultridens Owen
1842	Suchosaurus cultridens Owen p. 12
1842	Suchosaurus Owen p. 67
1842	Suchosaurus cultridens Owen p. 67
1845	Suchosaurus Meyer p. 283
1846	Succhosaurus cultridens Plieninger p. 151
1849	Succhosaurus d'Orbigny p. 206
1851	Suchosaurus cultridens Mantell p. 276
1854	Suchosaurus Owen p. 14
1860	Suchosaurus Owen p. 271
1861	Suchosaurus Owen p. 300
1861	Suchosaurus cultridens Owen p. 305
1864	Suchosaurus Costa p. 10
1864	Suchosaurus cultridens Costa p. 11
1869	Suchosaurus cultridens Seeley p. 82
1878	Suchosaurus Owen p. 12
1878	Suchosaurus cultridens Owen p. 12
1882	Succhosaurus Quenstedt p. 167
1882	Succhosaurus cultridens Quenstedt p. 167
1888	Suchosaurus cultridens Lydekker p. 90
1890	Suchosaurus Zittel p. 672
1896	Suchosaurus cultridens Sauvage p. 47
1896	Suchosaurus Sauvage p. 48
1898	Suchosaurus girardi Sauvage p. 27
1898	Suchosaurus cultridens Sauvage p. 444
1927	Suchosaurus cultridens Royo y Gomez p. 127
1960	Suchosaurus cultridens Bataller p. 157
1986	Baryonychidae Charig and Milner p. 359
1988	Suchosaurus Carroll
1990	Baryonychidae Charig and Milner p. 139
1992	Baryonychidae Molnar p. 266
1995	Baryonychidae Viera and Torres p. 60
1997	Baryonychidae Charig and Milner p. 13
1997	Baryonychidae Milner p. 699
1998	Baryonychinae Sereno et al. p. 1302
1998	Cristatusaurus Taquet and Russell p. 350
1998	Cristatusaurus lapparenti Taquet and Russell p. 350
2002	Baryonychinae Buffetaut and Ouaja p. 419
2002	Suchosaurus Sepkoski
2003	Baryonychidae Rauhut p. 146
2004	Baryonychinae Holtz, Jr. et al. p. 72
2004	Cristatusaurus Holtz, Jr. et al. p. 73
2004	Cristatusaurus lapparenti Holtz, Jr. et al. p. 73
2007	Baryonychinae Buffetaut
2007	Suchosaurus Buffetaut
2007	Suchosaurus cultridens Buffetaut
2007	Baryonychinae Naish and Martill p. 502
2007	Baryonychinae Sánchez-Hernández et al. p. 191
2008	Suchosaurus Buffetaut p. 27
2010	Suchosaurus Buffetaut p. 186
2010	Suchosaurus cultridens Buffetaut p. 186
2011	Cristatusaurus Kellner et al. p. 104
2011	Cristatusaurus lapparenti Kellner et al. p. 104
2011	Baryonychinae Kellner et al. p. 105
2011	Baryonychinae Mateus et al. p. 54
2011	Cristatusaurus Mateus et al. p. 54
2011	Cristatusaurus lapparenti Mateus et al. p. 54
2011	Suchosaurus Mateus et al. p. 57
2012	Baryonychinae Allain et al. p. 370
2012	Baryonychinae Carrano et al. p. 248 fig. 7
2013	Cristatusaurus lapparenti Bertozzo et al. p. 119
2014	Cristatusaurus lapparenti Fanti et al. p. 40
2018	Cristatusaurus lapparenti Hassler et al. p. 2
2019	Baryonychinae Arden et al. p. 279–280
2020	Baryonychinae Malafaia et al. p. 432
2021	Baryonychinae Barker et al. p. 8
2023	Baryonychinae Isasmendi et al. p. 911
2023	Cristatusaurus Isasmendi et al. p. 918
2025	Baryonychinae Carrano

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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
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()

Rank	Name	Author
—	Romeriida
—	Diapsida	()
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
informal	Avemetatarsalia
—	Ornithodira
—	Dinosauromorpha
—	Dinosauriformes
—	Dinosauria	()
—	Theropoda	()
—	Neotheropoda
—	Averostra	Paul 2002
—	Tetanurae
superfamily	Megalosauroidea	()
family	Spinosauridae
subfamily	Baryonychinae	()
subfamily	Baryonychinae	()

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.

Subfm. †Baryonychinae Charig and Milner 1986

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G. †Baryonyx Charig and Milner 1986

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†Baryonyx walkeri Charig and Milner 1986

Unr. †Ceratosuchopsini Barker et al. 2021

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G. †Ceratosuchops Barker et al. 2021

†Ceratosuchops inferodios Barker et al. 2021

G. †Riparovenator Barker et al. 2021

†Riparovenator milnerae Barker et al. 2021

G. †Suchomimus Sereno et al. 1998

†Suchomimus tenerensis Sereno et al. 1998

G. †Protathlitis Santos-Cubedo et al. 2023

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†Protathlitis cinctorrensis Santos-Cubedo et al. 2023

G. †Vallibonavenatrix Malafaia et al. 2019

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†Vallibonavenatrix cani Malafaia et al. 2019

Invalid names: Cristatusaurus Taquet and Russell 1998 [nomen dubium], Suchosaurus Owen 1842 [nomen dubium]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
A. J. Charig and A. C. Milner 1986	As for genus Baryonyx, below.

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

hydroxyapatiteo

Entire body:

yeso

Adult length:

10 to < 100o

Adult width:

1.0 to < 10o

Adult height:

1.0 to < 10o

Maximum body mass:

3000 kgg

Minimum body mass:

1000 kgg

Architecture:

compact or denseo

Ontogeny:

accretion, modification of partso

Grouping:

solitaryo

Environment:

terrestrialo

Locomotion:

actively mobileo

Life habit:

ground dwellingo

Diet:

carnivoreo

Reproduction:

oviparouso

Dispersal:

direct/internalo

Dispersal 2:

mobileo

Created:

2004-12-14 12:50:08

Modified:

2004-12-14 14:50:08

Source: g = genus, o = order

References: Marsh 1875, Peczkis 1995

Age range: base of the Late/Upper Valanginian to the top of the Albian or 140.20000 to 100.50000 Ma

Collections (46 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Berriasian - Valanginian	145.0 - 132.9	Brazil (Sergipe)	Baryonychinae indet. (187200)
Late/Upper Berriasian - Hauterivian	145.0 - 129.4	Spain (Aragon)	Baryonyx sp. (232344)
Neocomian - Barremian	145.0 - 125.0	Spain (Aragón)	Suchosaurus cultridens (61317)
Early/Lower Valanginian	140.2 - 136.4	United Kingdom (England)	Suchosaurus sp. (58094)
Late/Upper Valanginian	140.2 - 136.4	United Kingdom (England)	Baryonyx walkeri (96621) Suchosaurus cultridens (52258)
Late/Upper Hauterivian - Early/Lower Barremian	136.4 - 125.45	Spain (Castellón)	Baryonychinae indet. (169278)
Late/Upper Hauterivian - Early/Lower Barremian	136.4 - 125.45	Spain (Castilla y León)	Baryonyx sp. (68464 89271 89277 131492)
Late/Upper Hauterivian - Early/Lower Barremian	136.4 - 125.45	Spain (Aragón)	Baryonychidae indet. (84212) Baryonychinae indet. (84213)
Late/Upper Hauterivian - Early/Lower Barremian	136.4 - 125.45	United Kingdom (England)	Baryonychidae indet. (53888) Megalosaurus dunkeri (53886)
Late/Upper Hauterivian - Aptian	136.4 - 113.0	Spain (Castilla y Leon)	Baryonyx sp. (89274)
Hauterivian - Barremian	132.9 - 125.0	Libya (Ghadamis)	Baryonyx sp. (110504)
Early/Lower Barremian	130.0 - 125.45	United Kingdom (England)	Baryonyx walkeri (45193)
Early/Lower Barremian	130.0 - 125.45	Portugal (Lisboa)	Baryonyx sp. (189306)
Early/Lower Barremian	130.0 - 125.45	Portugal (Centro)	Suchosaurus sp. (49255)
Early/Lower Barremian	130.0 - 125.45	Spain (Aragón)	Baryonychidae indet. (28196) Baryonychinae indet. (59080 89275 96073) Theropoda indet. B, Dromaeosaurinae indet. 2, Baryonychinae indet. (53921)
Late/Upper Barremian	130.0 - 125.45	Spain (Castellón)	Baryonychinae indet. (169162)
Late/Upper Barremian	130.0 - 125.45	United Kingdom (England)	Baryonyx walkeri (45194)
Late/Upper Barremian	130.0 - 125.45	Spain (Valenciana)	Baryonychidae indet. (61375) Baryonychinae indet. (61325 61326) Spinosauridae indet. (89291 89293) Suchosaurus cultridens (61324) Vallibonavenatrix cani (84211)
Late/Upper Barremian - Early/Lower Aptian	130.0 - 122.46	Spain (Castilla y Leon)	Baryonychidae indet. (68471) Baryonyx sp. (89283)
Late/Upper Barremian - Early/Lower Aptian	130.0 - 122.46	Spain (La Rioja)	Baryonyx walkeri (89278)
Barremian	129.4 - 125.0	United Kingdom (England)	Ceratosuchops inferodios (223358) Riparovenator milnerae (223359)
Barremian	129.4 - 125.0	Spain (La Rioja)	Baryonyx sp. (170037)
Aptian	125.0 - 113.0	Niger (Agadez)	Spinosauridae indet. (37200)
Aptian - Albian	125.0 - 100.5	Niger (Agadez)	Suchomimus tenerensis (60029 133668)
Aptian - Albian	125.0 - 100.5	Cameroon (Nord)	Spinosaurus sp., Spinosauridae indet. (38918)
Late/Upper Aptian - Early/Lower Albian	122.46 - 109.0	Tunisia (Tataouine)	Baryonyx sp. (125935)
Late/Upper Albian - Early/Lower Cenomanian	105.3 - 93.5	Morocco (Drâa-Tafilalet)	Spinosaurus aegyptiacus (13274)