Carandaisuchus
Encyclopedia
Carandaisuchus is an extinct genus
of caiman. Fossil
s have been found from the Ituzaingó Formation in Argentina
. It was unique among crocodilians in having a pronounced bony occipital crest
. The genus has been proposed to be synonymous
with Mourasuchus
, a strange nettosuchid with an unusually long, broad snout.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of caiman. Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s have been found from the Ituzaingó Formation in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. It was unique among crocodilians in having a pronounced bony occipital crest
Occipital bone
The occipital bone, a saucer-shaped membrane bone situated at the back and lower part of the cranium, is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself...
. The genus has been proposed to be synonymous
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
with Mourasuchus
Mourasuchus
Mourasuchus is an extinct genus of giant crocodilian from the Miocene of South America. It was similar in length and weight to Rhamphosuchus...
, a strange nettosuchid with an unusually long, broad snout.