# Mystriosuchus

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mystriosuchus
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mystriosuchus.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystriosuchus
> Source revision: 1354839862
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Extinct genus of reptiles

Mystriosuchus Temporal range: Late Triassic 228–212 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Skull of M. planirostris Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: †Phytosauria Family: †Parasuchidae Subfamily: †Mystriosuchinae Tribe: †Mystriosuchini Genus: †Mystriosuchus Fraas, 1896 Species †M. planirostris (von Meyer, 1863 [originally Belodon planirostris]) (type) †M. steinbergeri Butler et al., 2019 †M. westphali Hungerbuhler, 2000 †M. alleroq López-Rojas et al., 2023

***Mystriosuchus*** (meaning "spoon-crocodile")[1] is an [extinct](/source/Extinct) [genus](/source/Genus) of [phytosaur](/source/Phytosaur) that lived in the [Late Triassic](/source/Late_Triassic) (middle [Norian](/source/Norian)) in [Europe](/source/Europe) and [Greenland](/source/Greenland). It was first named by Eberhard Fraas in 1896, and includes four [species](/source/Species): *M. planirostris* (the [type species](/source/Type_species)), *M. westphali*, *M. steinbergeri*, and *M. alleroq*.[2][3]

## Description

Size comparison of the different species

*Mystriosuchus planirostris* measured about 4 m (13 ft), according to a complete [skeleton](/source/Skeleton) which was found in 1995.[4] The [postcranial](/source/Postcrania) anatomy of the skeleton suggests that *Mystriosuchus* was more adapted to aquatic life than other known phytosaurs, possessing shorter and more paddle-like limbs as well as just two type of osteoderms as opposed to the higher diversity of other phytosaurs.[4] Cranial morphology is suggestive of a primarily [fish eating diet](/source/Piscivore), having long jaws like those of the modern [gharials](/source/Gharial).[2] Several specimens have been recovered from marine fossil sites.[4][5] A study on phytosaur microwear shows a preference towards softer invertebrates.[6]

Partial skull and skeleton of *M. planirostris*

*M. planirostris*, as the name implies, has a rather "plain" snout, without osseous ornamentation or crests. *M. westphali*, on the other hand, has multiple bony crests along the upper jaw, most prominently at the base and tip of the snout. As keratinous crests are known in phytosaurs,[7] it is possible that *M. planirostris* had soft tissue ornamentation.

### Vertebrae

*M. planirostris* [scutes](/source/Scute)

*Mystriosuchus* possesses many [vertebrae](/source/Vertebrae), with 25 in the neck and torso, two in the [pelvis](/source/Pelvis), and 74 in the tail. The vertebral column is complete and nearly all articulated, although a portion of the tail can only be seen from top view. The vertebrae behind the [axis vertebra](/source/Axis_(vertebra)) are [platycoelous](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/platycoel) (one surface flat and one concave), and are approximately rectangular in shape. Because of incomplete preservation, it can't be distinguished where the neck meets the torso, although at least 17 of the 25 vertebrae come from the latter. The trunk vertebrae are lower and wider than the neck vertebrae, but are still lightly built. The pelvic vertebrae have wide ribs which attach to the [ilium](/source/Ilium_(bone)) (largest pelvis bone). The tail is longer than the rest of the body, being 51% of the total length of the taxon. The first 17 vertebrae of the tail are similar to those of the neck and trunk, being platycoelous and subrectangular. [Chevrons](/source/Chevron_(anatomy)) are present after the fourth vertebra, but are only loosely attached for the beginning of the tail. At the end of the tail the vertebrae become more slanted, and the chevrons form an inverted 'T' shape, which is not seen in other phytosaurs but in [sauropterygians](/source/Sauropterygians) or some [crocodilians](/source/Crocodilians).[4]

## Classification

*M. westphali* skull

*Mystriosuchus* used to be placed in its own [subfamily](/source/Family_(taxonomy)), Mystriosuchidae,[8][9] but subsequent cladistic analysis grouped it with other members of Pseudopalatinae, despite having several physical differences from most of the genera in this group.[2] Originally considered to be a freshwater genus, a recent specimen from Northern [Italy](/source/Italy) has shown that some *Mystriosuchus* specimens lived a completely marine life.[10] In their paper on *[Parasuchus](/source/Parasuchus)*, Christian Kammerer and colleagues noted that Mystriosuchini has priority over Pseudopalatinae, so synonymized Pseudopalatinae with Mystriosuchini.[11]

Below is a [cladogram](/source/Cladogram) from Stocker (2012):[12]

Phytosauria Wannia scurriensis Paleorhinus bransoni "Paleorhinus" sawini Phytosauridae Brachysuchus megalodon Angistorhinus Rutiodon carolinensis "Machaeroprosopus" zunii Protome batalaria Leptosuchomorpha "Phytosaurus" doughtyi TMM 31173-120 Leptosuchus crosbiensis Leptosuchus studeri Smilosuchus lithodendrorum Smilosuchus adamanensis Smilosuchus gregorii Pravusuchus hortus Pseudopalatinae Machaeroprosopus mccauleyi Mystriosuchus westphali Machaeroprosopus pristinus

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Dipbsf_1-0)** [dipbsf.uninsubria.it Mystriosuchus planirostris description](http://dipbsf.uninsubria.it/paleo/mystriosuchus1.htm) Retrieved on May 25th, 2008.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hungerbühler,_2002_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hungerbühler,_2002_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Hungerbühler,_2002_2-2) Hungerbühler, A. 2002. The Late Triassic phytosaur *Mystriosuchus westphali*, with a revision of the genus. *Palaeontology* **45**(2): 377-418.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** López-Rojas, Víctor; Clemmensen, Lars B.; Milàn, Jesper; Wings, Oliver; Klein, Nicole; Mateus, Octávio (2023-03-24). ["A new phytosaur species (Archosauriformes) from the Upper Triassic of Jameson Land, central East Greenland"](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02724634.2023.2181086). *Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology*. **42** (3) e2181086. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/02724634.2023.2181086](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02724634.2023.2181086). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0272-4634](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0272-4634). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [257756028](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:257756028).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-gozzi03_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-gozzi03_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-gozzi03_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-gozzi03_4-3) Gozzi, E.; Renesto, S.A. (2003). "Complete specimen of *Mystriosuchus* (Reptilia, Phytosauria) from the Norian (Late Triassic) of Lombardy (Northern Italy)". *Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia*. **109** (3): 475–498.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Butler, Richard J.; Jones, Andrew S.; Buffetaut, Eric; Mandl, Gerhard W.; Scheyer, Torsten M.; Schultz, Ortwin (2019). ["Description and phylogenetic placement of a new marine species of phytosaur (Archosauriformes: Phytosauria) from the Late Triassic of Austria"](https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-abstract/187/1/198/5487160?redirectedFrom=fulltext). *Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society*. **187**: 198–228. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz014](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fzoolinnean%2Fzlz014).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Bestwick, Jordan; Jones, Andrew S.; Purnell, Mark A.; Butler, Richard J. (2021). ["Dietary constraints of phytosaurian reptiles revealed by dental microwear textural analysis"](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pala.12515). *Palaeontology*. **64** (1): 119–136. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2021Palgy..64..119B](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021Palgy..64..119B). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/pala.12515](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fpala.12515). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0031-0239](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-0239). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [229504989](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:229504989).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Stocker, M. R. & Butler, R. J. 2013. Phytosauria. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 379, 91-117.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-von_Huene,_1915_8-0)** von Huene, F. 1915. On reptiles of the New Mexican Trias in the Cope Collection. *Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History* **34**: 485-507.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Long_&_Murry,_1995_9-0)** Long, R.A. & Murry, P.A. 1995. Late Triassic (Carnian and Norian) tetrapods from the southwestern United States. *Bulletin of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science* **4** ‡254 pp.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Gozzi_&_Renesto,_2003_10-0)** Gozzi, E. & Renesto, S.A. 2003. Complete specimen of *Mystriosuchus* (Reptilia, Phytosauria) from the Norian (Late Triassic) of Lombardy (Northern Italy). *Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia* **109**(3): 475-498.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Kammerer, C. F., Butler, R. J., Bandyopadhyay, S., Stocker, M. R. (2016), Relationships of the Indian phytosaur Parasuchus hislopi Lydekker, 1885. Papers in Palaeontology, 2: 1–23. doi: 10.1002/spp2.1022 [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/spp2.1022/abstract](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/spp2.1022/abstract)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SMR12_12-0)** Stocker, M. R. (2012). "A new phytosaur (Archosauriformes, Phytosauria) from the Lot's Wife beds (Sonsela Member) within the Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic) of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona". *Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology*. **32** (3): 573–586. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2012JVPal..32..573S](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012JVPal..32..573S). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/02724634.2012.649815](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02724634.2012.649815). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [129527672](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:129527672).

## External links

- [www.paleodatabase.org](http://www.paleodatabase.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=38296&is_real_user=0)

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

v t e Phytosauria Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Archosauromorpha Clade: Crurotarsi Sauropsida see Sauropsida Archosauromorpha see Archosauromorpha Phytosauria see below↓ Phytosauria Phytosauria Calamosuchus Diandongosuchus Heteropelta? Parasuchidae Arganarhinus Ebrachosuchus Paleorhinus Parasuchus Wannia Mystriosuchinae / Phytosauridae Angistorhinus Brachysuchus Colossosuchus Jupijkam Protome Rutiodon Volcanosuchus Leptosuchomorpha Leptosuchus Pravusuchus Smilosuchus Mystriosuchini Angistorhinopsis Machaeroprosopus Mystriosuchus Nicrosaurus Redondasaurus Nomina dubia Belodon Centemodon Clepsysaurus? Coburgosuchus Compsosaurus Francosuchus Heterodontosuchus Mesorhinosuchus Omosaurus? Palaeoctonus? Phytosaurus Rileyasuchus Suchoprion Termatosaurus? Category

Taxon identifiers Mystriosuchus Wikidata: Q903342 EoL: 4530989 GBIF: 4817562 IRMNG: 1016119 Open Tree of Life: 4128964 Paleobiology Database: 38296

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