Open Paleo

Laevisuchus

Huene & Matley, 1933 LEE-vi-SOOK-us /ˌlɛvɪˈsjuːkəs/

From Latin 'laevis' (light or smooth) and Greek 'Soukhos' (the ancient Egyptian crocodile god); meaning 'light crocodile'

72.2–66.0 million years ago Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Laevisuchus is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous. Its remains were discovered by Charles Alfred Matley near Jabalpur in Maastrichtian "Carnosaur Bed" deposits in the Lameta Formation in Madhya Pradesh, central India, and were named and described by paleontologists Friedrich von Huene and Matley in 1933.

Diagnosis

  1. Cervical centrum with three pleurocoels on each side
  2. Neural arch greatly expanded laterally, much broader than in related forms
  3. Prezygapophyseal facets converge downward at approximately 110 degrees; lateral margins of prezygapophyses stand 42 mm apart
  4. Diapophysis descends steeply below the prezygapophysis and is supported by two narrow buttresses flanking a large recess
  5. Neural spine reduced to a low four-sided pyramid only ~10 mm above center of vertebra
  6. Postzygapophyses elevated 16 mm above centrum, surmounted by a small horn-shaped projection; long bony plates connecting zygapophysis pairs converge to form a saddle

Species

Laevisuchus indicus Huene & Matley, 1933

Type species

From Latin 'indicus' meaning 'Indian', referring to India, where the fossil remains were discovered in the Lameta Formation.

Syntypes
GSI K20/613, GSI K20/614, GSI K27/696, GSI K27/588 , Geological Survey of India
Material
Three small cervical vertebrae and one dorsal vertebra, with no single specimen singled out (collective type material).
Horizon
Carnosaur Bed Bed, Lameta Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Bara Simla, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India

Synonyms of the genus

Name Type Reason
Jubbulpuria junior subjective Material previously assigned to Jubbulpuria tenuis is now attributed to Laevisuchus, with apparent differences explained by serial position within the vertebral column.

References

  1. Huene, F. V.; Matley, C. A. (1933). The Cretaceous Saurischia and Ornithischia of the Central Provinces of India. Palaeontologica Indica (New Series), Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India 21(1): 1-74. huene1933a