Rimasuchus

Rimasuchus is an extinct genus of crocodile from the Miocene of Egypt and possibly Libya. Only one species - Rimasuchus lloydi - is currently known. It was previously thought to be a species of Crocodylus, but is now thought to be more closely related to the modern African dwarf crocodiles (Osteolaemus).

Rimasuchus
Temporal range: Early Miocene – Early Pleistocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Crocodilia
Family: Crocodylidae
Subfamily: Osteolaeminae
Genus: †Rimasuchus
Storrs, 2003
Type species
†Rimasuchus lloydi
(Fourtau, 1918)
Synonyms
  • Crocodylus lloydi Fourtau, 1918

Fossil crocodiles from all over Africa and the Middle East of Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene age were previously referred to R. lloydi. The majority are now known to be extinct forms of Crocodylus. The generic name "Rimasuchus" comes from the Latin words rima, meaning "crack" (referencing the East African rift valley),[1] which is ironic because Rimasuchus is not currently known from deposits in East Africa.

Phylogeny

A 2018 tip dating study by Lee & Yates simultaneously using morphological, molecular (DNA sequencing), and stratigraphic (fossil age) data established the inter-relationships within Crocodylidae.[2] In 2021, Hekkala et al. were able to use paleogenomics, extracting DNA from the extinct Voay, to better establish the relationships within Crocodylidae, including the subfamilies Crocodylinae and Osteolaeminae.[3]

The below cladogram shows the results of the latest study:

Crocodylidae
Osteolaeminae
 
 

Mecistops cataphractus West African slender-snouted crocodile

 
 

Euthecodon†

 
 
 
 

Brochuchus†

 
 
 

Rimasuchus†

 
 
 

Osteolaemus osborni Congo dwarf crocodile

 
 

Osteolaemus tetraspis Dwarf crocodile

 
 
 
 
 
Crocodylinae
 

Voay†

 
Crocodylus
 
 
 

Crocodylus anthropophagus†

 
 

Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni†

 
 
 
 

Crocodylus palaeindicus†

 
 

Crocodylus Tirari Desert†

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Crocodylus johnstoni Freshwater crocodile

 
 
 

Crocodylus novaeguineae New Guinea crocodile

 
 

Crocodylus mindorensis Philippine crocodile

 
 
 
 
 

Crocodylus porosus Saltwater crocodile

 
 
 

Crocodylus siamensis Siamese crocodile

 
 

Crocodylus palustris Mugger crocodile

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Crocodylus checchiai†

 
 

Crocodylus falconensis†

 
 
 
 

Crocodylus suchus West African crocodile

 
 
 

Crocodylus niloticus Nile crocodile

 
 
 
 

Crocodylus moreletii Morelet's crocodile

 
 

Crocodylus rhombifer Cuban crocodile

 
 
 
 

Crocodylus intermedius Orinoco crocodile

 
 

Crocodylus acutus American crocodile

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(crown group)

References
  1. Leakey, M. G. and Harris, J. M. (2003). Lothagam: the Dawn of Humanity in Eastern Africa. Columbia University Press, New York. ISBN 0-231-11870-8 p. 144
  2. Michael S. Y. Lee; Adam M. Yates (27 June 2018). "Tip-dating and homoplasy: reconciling the shallow molecular divergences of modern gharials with their long fossil". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 285 (1881). doi:10.1098/rspb.2018.1071. PMC 6030529. PMID 30051855.
  3. Hekkala, E.; Gatesy, J.; Narechania, A.; Meredith, R.; Russello, M.; Aardema, M. L.; Jensen, E.; Montanari, S.; Brochu, C.; Norell, M.; Amato, G. (2021-04-27). "Paleogenomics illuminates the evolutionary history of the extinct Holocene "horned" crocodile of Madagascar, Voay robustus". Communications Biology. 4 (1): 505. doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02017-0. ISSN 2399-3642. PMC 8079395. PMID 33907305.
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