Leptosuchus

{{Short description|Extinct genus of reptiles}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = [[Late Triassic]], {{fossilrange|237|208.5}} | image = Leptosuchus crosbiensis.jpg | image_upright = 1.15 | image_caption = ''L. crosbiensis'' skull | taxon = Leptosuchus | authority = [[Ermine Cowles Case|Case]], [[1922 in paleontology|1922]] | type_species = {{extinct}}'''''Leptosuchus crosbiensis''''' | type_species_authority = Case, 1922 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = *{{extinct}}'''''L. crosbiensis''''' <small>Case, 1922</small> *{{extinct}}'''''L. studeri''''' <small>Case & White, 1934</small> }}

'''''Leptosuchus''''' (from [[Ancient Greek]] λεπτός (''leptós''), meaning "thin", and [[wikt:Σοῦχος|Σοῦχος]] (''Soûkhos''), meaning "[[Sobek]]") is an [[extinct]] [[genus]] of [[leptosuchomorph]] [[parasuchid]] [[phytosaur]]s with a complex taxonomical history. [[Fossil]]s have been found from the [[Dockum Group]] and lower [[Chinle Formation]] outcropping in [[Texas]], [[New Mexico]], and [[Arizona]], United States, and date back to the [[Carnian]] stage of the [[Late Triassic]].<ref>Case, E. C. and White, T. E. (1934). "Two new specimens of phytosaurs from the Upper Triassic of Western Texas". ''Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan'' '''1'''(9):133-142.</ref>

Currently there are believed to be four species of ''Leptosuchus''. All species share in common a similar position of the temporal arch below the skull roof and a posterior process of the [[squamosal]] that extends farther than the [[paroccipital]] process.<ref name="Long, R. A. 1995">Long, R. A., and Murry, P. A. (1995). "Late Triassic (Carnian and Norian) tetrapods from the southwestern United States". ''New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin'' '''4''':1-254.</ref> The type species is ''L. crosbiensis'', which was named in 1922 on the basis of material found from Texas.<ref>Case, E. C. (1922). "New reptiles and stegocephalians from the Upper Triassic of western Texas?!. ''Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication'' '''321''':1-84.</ref> ''L. adamanensis'' was first described in 1930 as a species of ''[[Machaeroprosopus]]'' from the [[Blue Mesa Member]] of [[Petrified Forest National Park]], along with the other two species, ''L. lithodendrorum'' and ''L. gregorii''. It was not until the publication of a 1995 paper on tetrapods of southwestern United States that these species were recognized as belonging to the genus ''Leptosuchus''. However, because of the distinctive size of the rostral crest in ''L. gregorii'', it was assigned to its own genus, ''[[Smilosuchus]]'', in that same paper.<ref name="Long, R. A. 1995"/> Despite this, ''L. gregorii'' has recently been seen as belonging to ''Leptosuchus'', as it is believed that the large, complete crest was independently developed in this particular species.<ref>Irmis, R. B. (2005). "The vertebrate fauna of the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation in Northern Arizona". In: Nesbitt, S. J., Parker, W. G. and Irmis, R. B., eds., ''Guidebook to the Triassic Formations of the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona: Geology, Paleontology, and History''. Mesa Southwest Museum, Bulletin No. 9.</ref>

The close relation of ''Leptosuchus'' and ''Machaeroprosopus'' with ''[[Rutiodon]]'' has led some paleontologists to believe that the prior two were [[synonym (taxonomy)|synonymous]] with ''Rutiodon'', with the latter's name having seniority.<ref>Ballew, K. L. (1989). "A phylogenetic analysis of Phytosauria from the Late Triassic of the western United States". In: Lucas, S. G. and Hunt, A. P., eds., ''Dawn of the age of dinosaurs in the American Southwest'', pp. 309-339. New Mexico Museum of Natural History. Albuquerque.</ref> Differing features seen in the three phytosaurs have been attributed to sexual dimorphism, differing growth stages, or individual variation, while similarities could be seen in the rostral crest and the position of the [[nares]].<ref>Gregory, J. T. (1962). "The relationships of the American phytosaur ''Rutiodon''". ''American Museum Novitates'' '''2095''':1-22.</ref> Previously it was believed that these were different genera due to the geographical isolation that could be seen in North American phytosaurs; ''Leptosuchus'' remains were found primarily in southern localities while ''Rutiodon'' remains could be found in more eastern localities.<ref>Camp, C. L. (1930). "A study of phytosaurs, with description of new material from western North America". ''Memoirs of the University of California'' '''10''':161 pp. Berkeley.</ref> Other studies concluded that it was synonymous with ''Machaeroprosopus'' or ''[[Phytosaurus]]''.<ref>Colbert, E. H. (1947). Studies of the phytosaurs ''Machaeroprosopus'' and ''Rutiodon''. ''Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History'' '''88''':53-96.</ref> A 1998 study again found ''Leptosuchus'' to be congeneric with ''Rutiodon'',<ref>Lucas, S. G. (1998). Global Triassic tetrapod biostratigraphy and biochronology. ''Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology'' '''143''':347-384.</ref> but since then another study has suggested that its type species ''R. carolinensis'', while still very similar to ''Leptosuchus'', is synonymous with ''Angistorhinus''.<ref>Hungerbühler, A. and Sues, H.-D. (2001). Status and phylogenetic relationships of the Late Triassic phytosaur ''Rutiodon carolinensis''. ''Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology'' ''21''(3 suppl.):64A.</ref>

''L. imperfecta'' is known from a partial [[skull]], UMMP 7523, from same locality as the holotype of ''L. crosbiensis''. It was collected as fragments and reassembled. Long and Murry (1995) considered it to be a [[nomen nudum]], as there was never full formal documentation of this specimen. They referred it to ''L. adamanensis''. Camp (1930) and Ballew (1989) referred it to ''L. crosbiensis''. Stocker (2010) stated that the specimen is phylogenetically redundant and might be synonymous with ''L. crosbiensis'', because its traits are identical to those of ''L. crosbiensis''.<ref name="Stocker2010">{{cite journal|author=Michelle R. Stocker |year=2010 |title=A new taxon of phytosaur (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) from the Late Triassic (Norian) Sonsela Member (Chinle Formation) in Arizona, and a critical reevaluation of ''Leptosuchus'' Case, 1922 |journal=Palaeontology |volume=53 |issue=5 |pages=997–1022 |doi=10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00983.x |s2cid=83536253 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=38299 ''Rutiodon''] in the [[Paleobiology Database]] (includes species of ''Leptosuchus'')

[[Category:Phytosauria]] [[Category:Prehistoric reptile genera]] [[Category:Carnian genera]] [[Category:Late Triassic reptiles of North America]] [[Category:Triassic Arizona]] [[Category:Paleontology in Arizona]] [[Category:Triassic geology of New Mexico]] [[Category:Paleontology in New Mexico]] [[Category:Triassic geology of Texas]] [[Category:Paleontology in Texas]] [[Category:Chinle fauna]] [[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1922]] [[Category:Taxa named by Ermine Cowles Case]]