# Gracilisuchidae

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Extinct family of reptiles

Gracilisuchids Temporal range: Anisian-Carnian, 247.2–234 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Norian presence if Maehary is a member Skulls of Gracilisuchus (left) and Parvosuchus (right) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Clade: Pseudosuchia Clade: Suchia Family: †Gracilisuchidae Butler et al. 2014 Genera †Gracilisuchus †Maehary? †Parvosuchus †Taihangosuchus †Telkaralura †Turfanosuchus †Yonghesuchus

**Gracilisuchidae** is an [extinct](/source/Extinct) [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) of [suchian](/source/Suchia) [archosaurs](/source/Archosaur) known from the early [Middle Triassic](/source/Middle_Triassic) to the early [Late Triassic](/source/Late_Triassic) ([Anisian](/source/Anisian) – early [Carnian](/source/Carnian)) of China, Argentina, and Brazil.[1][2]

## Distribution

The oldest known gracilisuchids are *[Turfanosuchus dabanensis](/source/Turfanosuchus_dabanensis)* and *[Taihangosuchus wuxiangensis](/source/Taihangosuchus_wuxiangensis)* from the [Anisian](/source/Anisian) stage of [Xinjiang](/source/Xinjiang) and [Shanxi Province](/source/Shanxi_Province), China, respectively.[3] Two gracilisuchids are known from the [Ladinian](/source/Ladinian) or early [Carnian](/source/Carnian) stage, *[Gracilisuchus stipanicicorum](/source/Gracilisuchus_stipanicicorum)* and *[Yonghesuchus sangbiensis](/source/Yonghesuchus_sangbiensis)*, from [La Rioja Province](/source/La_Rioja_Province%2C_Argentina) of Argentina, and [Shanxi](/source/Shanxi), respectively. These species were considered enigmatic prior to the recognition of the family in 2014, suggesting a rapid [phylogenetic](/source/Phylogenetic) [diversification](/source/Biodiversity) of archosaurs by the [Middle Triassic](/source/Middle_Triassic). This radiation is a part of the broader recovery of terrestrial ecosystems after the [Permian–Triassic extinction event](/source/Permian%E2%80%93Triassic_extinction_event). Gracilisuchids are known from approximately similar northern and southern mid-palaeolatitudes, demonstrating a wide distribution of early archosaurs over much or all of [Pangaea](/source/Pangaea) by the early Middle Triassic.[1] *[Parvosuchus](/source/Parvosuchus)*, from Brazil's [Santa Maria Formation](/source/Santa_Maria_Formation) (Ladinian–Carnian boundary), represents the first unequivocal gracilisuchid from the country. *[Maehary](/source/Maehary)*, known from the [Caturrita Formation](/source/Caturrita_Formation) ([Norian](/source/Norian) stage) of Brazil, is likely a gracilisuchid, although it was originally described as an early-diverging [pterosauromorph](/source/Pterosauromorph).[4][2]

## History

The family Gracilisuchidae first appeared in a [classification](/source/Biological_classification) scheme for all fossil [vertebrates](/source/Vertebrate), published by [Robert L. Carroll](/source/Robert_L._Carroll) in 1988. As no description or definition were provided by Carroll for the erection of the name, it is unavailable under Article 13.1.1 of the [International Code of Zoological Nomenclature](/source/International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature). Richard J. Butler, Corwin Sullivan, Martín D. Ezcurra, Jun Liu, Agustina Lecuona and Roland B. Sookias described and officially named the family in [2014](/source/2014_in_paleontology), to include several early [archosaurs](/source/Archosaur), previously considered enigmatic. They phylogenetically defined the family as the most inclusive clade containing *[Gracilisuchus stipanicicorum](/source/Gracilisuchus_stipanicicorum)*, but not *[Ornithosuchus woordwardi](/source/Ornithosuchus)*, *[Aetosaurus ferratus](/source/Aetosaurus_ferratus)*, *[Poposaurus gracilis](/source/Poposaurus_gracilis)*, *[Postosuchus kirkpatricki](/source/Postosuchus_kirkpatricki)*, *[Rutiodon carolinensis](/source/Rutiodon_carolinensis)*, *[Erpetosuchus granti](/source/Erpetosuchus_granti)*, *[Revueltosaurus callenderi](/source/Revueltosaurus_callenderi)*, *[Crocodylus niloticus](/source/Crocodylus_niloticus)* (the Nile Crocodile), or *[Passer domesticus](/source/Passer_domesticus)* (the house sparrow).[1] Apart from *[Gracilisuchus stipanicicorum](/source/Gracilisuchus_stipanicicorum)*, Carroll assigned to Gracilisuchidae the Middle Triassic *[Lewisuchus admixtus](/source/Lewisuchus_admixtus)*, which is now considered a [silesaurid](/source/Silesaurid) [dinosauriform](/source/Dinosauriform). *[Turfanosuchus dabanensis](/source/Turfanosuchus_dabanensis)* and *[Yonghesuchus sangbiensis](/source/Yonghesuchus_sangbiensis)* were considered [basal](/source/Basal_(phylogenetics)) or [stem](/source/Crown_group) archosaurs prior to their inclusion in the family in 2014, depending on phylogenetic hypothesis.[1]

## Classification

In the [phylogenetic analyses](/source/Phylogenetic_analyses) accompanying their description of the gracilisuchid *Taihangosuchus*, Wu et al. (2025) recovered it diverging after the similarly aged Chinese *Turfanosuchus*, also dating to the Anisian age,[1] but before the clade formed by the Chinese *Yonghesuchus* and Argentinian *Gracilisuchus*. These results are congruent with the [chronostratigraphic](/source/Chronostratigraphic) (relating to rock layers over time) occurrences of these genera, with older genera diverging first, and younger (more recent) genera diverging later. This may imply that gracilisuchids originated in the landmass [Laurasia](/source/Laurasia), diversifying in Asia before spreading elsewhere ([Gondwana](/source/Gondwana)). While not included in the description of *Taihangosuchus*, the description of the Brazilian gracilisuchid *Parvosuchus* by Müller (2024) recovered a similar topology, with *Parvosuchus* in a derived position close to *Gracilisuchus*, to which it is similar in age.[2]

Wu et al. recovered the Gracilisuchidae as the [sister taxon](/source/Sister_taxon) to the [Erpetosuchidae](/source/Erpetosuchidae), with this clade representing one of the two initial divergences within [Pseudosuchia](/source/Pseudosuchia), the other being the more diverse [Suchia](/source/Suchia) (including modern [crocodilians](/source/Crocodilia)). A [cladogram](/source/Cladogram) following these results is displayed below:[3]

Pseudosuchia †Erpetosuchidae †Parringtonia †Erpetosuchus †Gracilisuchidae †Turfanosuchus †Taihangosuchus †Gracilisuchus †Yonghesuchus Suchia †Aetosauria †Ornithosuchidae †Ticinosuchus Paracrocodylomorpha †Poposauroidea Loricata

## References

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

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Gracilisuchidae_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Gracilisuchidae_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Gracilisuchidae_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Gracilisuchidae_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Gracilisuchidae_1-4) Butler, R. J.; Sullivan, C.; Ezcurra, M. N. D.; Liu, J.; Lecuona, A.; Sookias, R. B. (2014). ["New clade of enigmatic early archosaurs yields insights into early pseudosuchian phylogeny and the biogeography of the archosaur radiation"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061117). *BMC Evolutionary Biology*. **14** (1): 128. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2014BMCEE..14..128B](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014BMCEE..14..128B). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1186/1471-2148-14-128](https://doi.org/10.1186%2F1471-2148-14-128). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [4061117](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061117). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [24916124](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24916124).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Parvosuchus_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Parvosuchus_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Parvosuchus_2-2) Müller, Rodrigo T. (2024-06-20). ["A new small-sized predatory pseudosuchian archosaur from the Middle-Late Triassic of Southern Brazil"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11189902). *[Scientific Reports](/source/Scientific_Reports)*. **14** (1): 12706. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/s41598-024-63313-3](https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41598-024-63313-3). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [2045-2322](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2045-2322). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [11189902](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11189902).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Taihangosuchus_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Taihangosuchus_3-1) Wu, X.-C.; Kang, Z.; Shi, J.; You, H.-L.; Dong, L. (2025). "*Taihangosuchus wuxiangensis*, a new gracilisuchid (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) from the Middle Triassic of Shanxi Province, China". *Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology*. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/08912963.2025.2537848](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F08912963.2025.2537848).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Maehary_4-0)** Kellner, A.W.A.; Holgado, B.; Grillo, O.; Pretto, F.A.; Kerber, L.; Pinheiro, F.L.; Soares, M.B.; Schultz, C.L.; Lopes, R.T.; Araújo, A.; Müller, R.T. (2022). ["Reassessment of *Faxinalipterus minimus*, a purported Triassic pterosaur from southern Brazil with the description of a new taxon"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9074864). *PeerJ*. **10** e13276. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.7717/peerj.13276](https://doi.org/10.7717%2Fpeerj.13276). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [9074864](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9074864). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [35529502](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35529502).

v t e Pseudosuchia Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Archosauria Sauropsida see Sauropsida Archosauromorpha see Archosauromorpha Pseudosuchia see below↓ Pseudosuchia Pseudosuchia †Dasygnathoides †Nundasuchus †Phytosauria? †Ornithosuchidae Aenigmaspina? Dynamosuchus Ornithosuchus Riojasuchus Venaticosuchus Suchia †Heteropelta? †Koilamasuchus? †Mandasuchus †Nundasuchus? †Ticinosuchus †Erpetosuchidae Archeopelta? Dyoplax? Erpetosuchus Pagosvenator Parringtonia Tarjadia †Aetosauriformes Acaenasuchus Euscolosuchus Revueltosaurus Aetosauria see Aetosauria †Gracilisuchidae Gracilisuchus Maehary? Parvosuchus Taihangosuchus Telkaralura Turfanosuchus Yonghesuchus Paracrocodylomorpha see below↓ Paracrocodylomorpha Paracrocodylomorpha †Mambawakale †Poposauroidea Benggwigwishingasuchus Lotosaurus Qianosuchus Schultzsuchus? Tainrakuasuchus Ctenosauriscidae Arizonasaurus Bromsgroveia Bystrowisuchus Ctenosauriscus Hypselorhachis Tsylmosuchus? Xilousuchus Poposauridae Dolichobrachium Poposaurus Shuvosauridae Effigia Labrujasuchus Shuvosaurus Sillosuchus Sonselasuchus Loricata †Apatosuchus †Arganasuchus †Batrachotomus †Dagasuchus †Decuriasuchus †Etjosuchus †Fasolasuchus †Heptasuchus †Heteropelta? †Incertovenator? †Luperosuchus †Mandasuchus? †Prestosuchus †Procerosuchus †Saurosuchus †Stagonosuchus †Youngosuchus †Rauisuchidae Arganasuchus? Energosuchus? Jushatyria? Polonosuchus Postosuchus Procerosuchus? Rauisuchus Scolotosuchus Scythosuchus? Teratosaurus Tikisuchus? Vivaron Vjushkovisaurus? Vytshegdosuchus? Crocodylomorpha see below↓ Crocodylomorpha Crocodylomorpha †Carnufex †Dibothrosuchus †Dromicosuchus †Eosphorosuchus †Hesperosuchus †Heteropelta? †Junggarsuchus †Kayentasuchus †Parrishia †Pattisaura †Phyllodontosuchus †Pseudhesperosuchus †Redondavenator †Sphenosuchus †Syntomiprosopus? †Trialestes †Saltoposuchidae Galahadosuchus Litargosuchus Saltoposuchus Terrestrisuchus †Hallopodidae Almadasuchus Hallopus Macelognathus †Thalattosuchia see Thalattosuchia Crocodyliformes †Entradasuchus †Eopneumatosuchus †Kemkemia †Microchampsa †Stegomosuchus †Tagarosuchus †Protosuchidae Coloradisuchus Dianosuchus Edentosuchus Erythrochampsa Hemiprotosuchus Hoplosuchus Orthosuchus? Pedeticosaurus? Protosuchus †Notochampsidae Notochampsa Orthosuchus? †Gobiosuchoidea Platyognathus Gobiosuchidae Cassissuchus Gobiosuchus Lisboasaurus? Zaraasuchus Mesoeucrocodylia †Dianchungosaurus †Hsisosuchus †Lusitanisuchus †Neuquensuchus †Pachycheilosuchus? †Titanochampsa †Thalattosuchia? †Shartegosuchoidea Hadongsuchus Shantungosuchus Sichuanosuchus Zosuchus Shartegosuchidae Adzhosuchus Fruitachampsa Kyasuchus Nominosuchus Shartegosuchus Metasuchia †Ziphosuchia see Ziphosuchia includes notosuchians Neosuchia see Neosuchia includes crocodilians See also: Rauisuchia Prestosuchidae Bathyotica Sphenosuchia Protosuchia Mesosuchia Category

Taxon identifiers Gracilisuchidae Wikidata: Q18345681 Wikispecies: Gracilisuchidae GBIF: 4967844 Open Tree of Life: 4140712 Paleobiology Database: 38286

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