Macelognathus
Encyclopedia
Macelognathus is an extinct genus
of sphenosuchia
n crocodile
from the Late Jurassic
. Originally it was believed be a theropod dinosaur. It lived in what is now Wyoming
, in North America
.
The type species
, Macelognathus vagans, was described by Othniel Charles Marsh
in the 1880s, and was later reclassified by Clark and Sues in 2002 when five new skeletons were discovered. It is considered an example of convergent evolution
, due to the similarities to caenagnathid dinosaurs, with which it was not closely related.
It is possibly a junior synonym of Hallopus victor
.
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 sphenosuchia
Sphenosuchia
Sphenosuchia is a suborder of basal crocodylomorphs that first appeared in the Triassic and occurred into the Late Jurassic. Most were small, gracile animals with an erect limb posture. They are now thought to be ancestral to crocodyliforms, which include all living crocodilians.-Stratigraphic...
n crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
from the Late Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
. Originally it was believed be a theropod dinosaur. It lived in what is now Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
, Macelognathus vagans, was described by Othniel Charles Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh
Othniel Charles Marsh was an American paleontologist. Marsh was one of the preeminent scientists in the field; the discovery or description of dozens of news species and theories on the origins of birds are among his legacies.Born into a modest family, Marsh was able to afford higher education...
in the 1880s, and was later reclassified by Clark and Sues in 2002 when five new skeletons were discovered. It is considered an example of convergent evolution
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...
, due to the similarities to caenagnathid dinosaurs, with which it was not closely related.
It is possibly a junior synonym of Hallopus victor
Hallopus
Hallopus was a prehistoric reptile, classified by O. C. Marsh in 1881 as a dinosaur. In fact it was probably a crocodilian or possibly a more primitive crurotarsan, and may be closely related to Junggarsuchus ....
.