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Microchampsa is an extinct genus of protosuchian crocodyliform that existed during the Early Jurassic. Fossils have been found from stratum 6 of the Dahuangtian locality, an outcrop of the Lower Red Beds of the Lufeng Formation in Yunnan, China.

Description

Parts of the postcranial skeleton, such as the dorsal osteoderms, vertebrae, ribs, and bones of the manus, are known. The dorsal osteoderms of the lumbar region are fused to double headed ribs. All osteoderms are rectangular and overlap each other.

History

Microchampsa was named in 1951 on the basis of an incomplete skeleton consisting of cervical and anterior dorsal vertebrae as well as ribs and three rows of dorsal osteoderms. Three other specimens of crocodylomorphs described in 1965 also seemed to display three rows of osteoderms, and as a result were assigned to the genus Microchampsa. However, later studies revealed that the specimens had only two rows of osteoderms that more closely resembled those of the genus Platyognathus, and that the presence of three rows of osteoderms in the holotype of Microchampsa may have been an artifact of preservation. However, this hypothesis is speculative as the holotype of Microchampsa had since been lost by the time of the studies.

Taxonomy

It was assigned to the suborder Protosuchia in 1965 and the family Notochampsidae in 1992. However, later studies argued that it is a nomen dubium due to the lack of diagnostic material in the incompletely known remains. Thus it can only be regarded as a poorly known protosuchian.

References

1. ^ Lucas, S. G. (2001). Chinese fossil vertebrates. Columbia University Press, 375 pp.
2. ^ Young, C. C. (1951). The Lufeng saurischian fauna in China. Palaeontologia Sinica, New Series C 13:1-96.
3. ^ Simmons, D. J. (1965). The non-therapsid reptiles of the Lufeng Basin, Yunnan, China. Fieldiana: Geology 15(1):1-93.
4. Clark, J. A. (1986). Phylogenetic relationships of the crocodylomorph archosaurs. Ph. D. dissertation. University of Chicago, Chicago. 1-556.
5. Luo, Z. and Wu, X.-C. (1994). The small tetrapods of the lower Lufeng Formation, Yunnan, China. In: Fraser, F. C. and Sues, H.-D. In the Shadow of the Dinosaurs: Early Mesozoic Tetrapods Cambridge University Press, pp. 251-270.
6. Wu, X. C. and Sues, H. D. (1995) Protosuchia (Archosauria: Crocodyliformes) from China. In: Sun, A. and Yuanqing, W. (eds.) Sixth Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems and Biota, Short Papers. Beijing. China Ocean Press, 57-62.

External links

• Microchampsa in the Paleobiology Database

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 Turfanosuchus Yonghesuchus Paracrocodylomorpha see below↓
Paracrocodylomorpha Paracrocodylomorpha †Mambawakale †Poposauroidea Benggwigwishingasuchus Lotosaurus Schultzsuchus? Qianosuchus Ctenosauriscidae Arizonasaurus Bromsgroveia Bystrowisuchus Ctenosauriscus Hypselorhachis Tsylmosuchus? Xilousuchus Poposauridae Dolichobrachium Poposaurus Shuvosauridae Effigia Shuvosaurus Sillosuchus 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 †Hesperosuchus †Heteropelta? †Junggarsuchus †Kayentasuchus †Parrishia †Phyllodontosuchus †Pseudhesperosuchus †Redondavenator †Sphenosuchus †Syntomiprosopus? †Trialestes †Saltoposuchidae Litargosuchus Saltoposuchus Terrestrisuchus †Hallopodidae Almadasuchus Hallopus Macelognathus †Thalattosuchia see Thalattosuchia Crocodyliformes †Entradasuchus †Eopneumatosuchus †Kemkemia †Microchampsa †Platyognathus †Stegomosuchus †Tagarosuchus †Protosuchidae Coloradisuchus Dianosuchus Edentosuchus Erythrochampsa Hemiprotosuchus Hoplosuchus Orthosuchus? Pedeticosaurus? Protosuchus †Notochampsidae Notochampsa Orthosuchus? †Gobiosuchidae Cassissuchus Gobiosuchus Lisboasaurus? Zaraasuchus Mesoeucrocodylia †Dianchungosaurus †Hsisosuchus †Induszalim †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

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