# Antarctosuchus

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Extinct genus of temnospondyls

Antarctosuchus Temporal range: Middle Triassic, ~246.7–237 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N I O An. La. Carn. Norian Rh. Holotype skull on display at the Field Museum of Natural History. Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Tetrapoda Order: †Temnospondyli Suborder: †Stereospondyli Clade: †Capitosauria Superfamily: †Mastodonsauroidea Genus: †Antarctosuchus Sidor, Steyer & Hammer, 2014 Type species †Antarctosuchus polyodon Sidor, Steyer & Hammer, 2014

***Antarctosuchus*** is an [extinct](/source/Extinct) [genus](/source/Genus) of [capitosauroid](/source/Capitosauroidea) [temnospondyl](/source/Temnospondyl) known from the [Middle Triassic](/source/Middle_Triassic) upper [Fremouw Formation](/source/Fremouw_Formation) in the [Transantarctic Mountains](/source/Transantarctic_Mountains) of [Antarctica](/source/Antarctica). It contains a single species, ***Antarctosuchus polyodon***.[1]

Model of *Antarctosuchus polyodon* at the [Field Museum of Natural History](/source/Field_Museum_of_Natural_History) in Chicago

## Discovery

*Antarctosuchus* was named by [Christian A. Sidor](/source/Christian_Sidor), J. Sébastien Steyer, and [William R. Hammer](/source/William_R._Hammer) in [2014](/source/2014_in_paleontology) and the [type species](/source/Type_species) is *Antarctosuchus polyodon*. The [generic name](/source/Name_of_a_biological_genus) refers to [Antarctica](/source/Antarctica), where the only known specimen was collected, and *suchus*, a common suffix for [temnospondyls](/source/Temnospondyl) [Latinized](/source/Latin) from the [Greek](/source/Greek_language) *souchos*, an Egyptian crocodile god. The [specific name](/source/Specific_name_(zoology)), *polyodon*, is derived from the Greek πολύς (*polús*) "much", "many" and ὀδών (*odon*), "tooth", in reference to its unique [teeth](/source/Teeth) morphology. *Antarctosuchus* is known solely from its [holotype](/source/Holotype), a large and relatively complete [skull](/source/Skull). It was collected form the upper [Fremouw Formation](/source/Fremouw_Formation) in the central [Transantarctic Mountains](/source/Transantarctic_Mountains) of [Antarctica](/source/Antarctica), dating to the [Middle Triassic](/source/Middle_Triassic). To date, *Antarctosuchus polyodon* is the only other [endemic](/source/Endemism) [temnospondyl](/source/Temnospondyl) species from the formation apart from *[Kryostega collinsoni](/source/Kryostega_collinsoni)*, although indeterminate remains referred to [benthosuchids](/source/Benthosuchus) and a cranial fragment assigned to *[Parotosuchus](/source/Parotosuchus) sp.* have also been collected.[1]

## Description

As its specific name suggests, *Antarctosuchus polyodon* is distinguished by the possession of numerous, extremely small [maxillary](/source/Maxilla), [palatine](/source/Palatine_bone), and ectopterygoid teeth, a dental pattern that suggests specialization on small prey, possibly [invertebrates](/source/Invertebrate). Other [autapomorphic](/source/Autapomorphic) features of this taxon are a parachoanal tooth row that extends far posterior to the choana and occipital condyles which are set close to the midline. *Antarctosuchus* possesses a relatively flat skull, low [occiput](/source/Occiput) and well-developed sensory canals, suggesting an [aquatic lifestyle](/source/Aquatic_animal). A [phylogenetic analysis](/source/Phylogenetic_analysis) places *Antarctosuchus* within [Capitosauroidea](/source/Capitosauroidea), a clade of derived Triassic [stereospondyls](/source/Stereospondyl) as the [sister taxon](/source/Sister_taxon) to *[Paracyclotosaurus crookshanki](/source/Paracyclotosaurus_crookshanki)* from the Triassic [Denwai Formation](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Denwai_Formation&action=edit&redlink=1) of [India](/source/India).[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Antarctosuchus_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Antarctosuchus_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Antarctosuchus_1-2) Sidor, C. A.; Steyer, J. S. B.; Hammer, W. R. (2014). "A new capitosauroid temnospondyl from the Middle Triassic upper Fremouw Formation of Antarctica". *Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology*. **34** (3): 539. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/02724634.2013.808205](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02724634.2013.808205).

- [Paleontology portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Paleontology)

v t e Stereospondyli Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Tetrapodomorpha Order: Temnospondyli Tetrapodomorpha see Tetrapodomorpha Temnospondyli see Temnospondyli Stereospondyli see below↓ Stereospondyli Stereospondyli Arachana Capulomala Peltobatrachus Lapillopsidae Lapillopsis Manubrantlia Rhigerpeton Rotaurisaurus Rhinesuchidae Australerpeton? Broomistega Laccosaurus Parapytanga? Rastosuchus Rhineceps Rhinesuchoides Rhinesuchus Uranocentrodon Lydekkerinidae Chomatobatrachus Cryobatrachus Deltacephalus Eolydekkerina Indobenthosuchus Luzocephalus? Lydekkerina Capitosauria Antarctosuchus Bukobaja Calmasuchus Capitosaurus Cherninia Cyclotosaurus Edingerella Eocyclotosaurus Eryosuchus Heptasaurus Huangfuchuansuchus Jammerbergia Kestrosaurus Kupferzellia Mastodonsaurus Meyerosuchus Odenwaldia Paracyclotosaurus Parotosuchus Quasicyclotosaurus Procyclotosaurus Promastodonsaurus Rhadalognathus Samarabatrachus Sassenisaurus Sclerothorax Selenocara Stanocephalosaurus Stenotosaurus Subcyclotosaurus Tatrasuchus Vladlenosaurus Volgasaurus Volgasuchus Warrenisuchus Watsonisuchus Wellesaurus Wetlugasaurus Xenotosuchus Yuanansuchus Trematosauria see below↓ Trematosauria Trematosauria Almasaurus Bothriceps Callistomordax Chinlestegophis Keratobrachyops Laidleria Latiscopus Qantas Rileymillerus Syrtosuchus Uruyiella Benthosuchidae Benthosuchus Kwatisuchus Trematosauridae Angusaurus Aphaneramma Cosgriffius Erythrobatrachus Gonioglyptus Hyperokynodon Icanosaurus Indolyrocephalus Inflectosaurus Lyrocephaliscus Microposaurus Panchetosaurus Platystega Prothoosuchus Stoschiosaurus Tertrema Tertremoides Thoosuchus Tirraturhinus Trematolestes Trematosuchoides Trematosaurus Trematosuchus Trematotegmen Wantzosaurus Metoposauridae Anaschisma Apachesaurus Arganasaurus Buettnererpeton Dutuitosaurus Metoposaurus Panthasaurus Rhytidosteidae Boreopelta Mahavisaurus Nanolania Peltostega Pneumatostega Rhytidosteus Sangaia Trucheosaurus Derwentiinae Arcadia Acerastia Deltasaurus Derwentia Indobrachyops Rewana Chigutisauridae Arenaerpeton Chigutisaurus Compsocerops Koolasuchus Pelorocephalus Siderops Brachyopidae Banksiops Bathignathus Batrachosaurus Batrachosuchoides Batrachosuchus Blinasaurus Brachyops Gobiops Hadrokkosaurus Notobrachyops Platycepsion Sinobrachyops Vanastega Vigilius Xenobrachyops Plagiosauridae Gerrothorax Megalophthalma Plagiobatrachus Plagiorophus Plagiosaurus Plagioscutum Plagiosternum Plagiosuchus See also: Trematosauroidea Metoposauroidea Rhytidosteoidea Brachyopomorpha Brachyopoidea Plagiosauroidea Category

Taxon identifiers Antarctosuchus Wikidata: Q16961664 GBIF: 8695048 IRMNG: 1479812 Open Tree of Life: 6137976 Paleobiology Database: 324880

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Antarctosuchus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctosuchus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctosuchus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.