M. mccauleyi was first described and named by Karen A. Ballew in 1989 as a species of Pseudopalatus, on the basis of the holotype UCMP 126999, an incomplete skull, lacking the anterior half of the rostrum, and probably associated lower jaws.
The specific name honors John D. McCauley and Mrs. Molly McCauley McLean from Winslow, Arizona, the owners of the land at "Billings Gap" from which the holotype was found.
The specimen was originally informally designated as Pseudopalatus "bilingsensis" by Ballew (1986).
It was collected at Dry Creek Tank SE (also known as UCMP V82040, UCMP 7043 and PFV 55), Apache County of Arizona, from the Norian-aged Upper Petrified Forest Member / Formation according to most authors, or possibly Sonsela Member of the Chinle Formation according to Parker & Irmis (2005).
Ballew (1989) also referred to this species USNM 15839, another incomplete skull lacking the anterior half of the rostrum from Arizona.
Long and Murry (1995) restricted this species to its holotype, although recent studies suggest that USNM 15839 is referable to it.
Long and Murry (1995) also considered M. mccauleyi to be a species of their Arribasuchus, probably synonymous with A. buceros, although most subsequent studies, like Hungerbühler (2002), Parker and Irmis (2006), Stocker (2010) and Stocker and Butler (2013) treated M. mccauleyi as a valid species.
Other specimens that are currently referred to M. mccauleyi include PEFO 31219, complete skull, lower jaws and articulated postcranial skeleton, from Petroglyph phytosaur site (also known as PFV 42) collected by UCMP in 1985, and possibly UCMP 27149, a large skull, from Cowboy (UCMP A257), both from the Petrified Forest Member, Arizona.
Both specimen were originally referred to A. buceros by Long and Murry (1995).
M. mccauleyi was first described and named by Karen A. Ballew in 1989 as a species of Pseudopalatus, on the basis of the holotype UCMP 126999, an incomplete skull, lacking the anterior half of the rostrum, and probably associated lower jaws. The specific name honors John D. McCauley and Mrs. Molly McCauley McLean from Winslow, Arizona, the owners of the land at "Billings Gap" from which the holotype was found. The specimen was originally informally designated as Pseudopalatus "bilingsensis" by Ballew (1986). It was collected at Dry Creek Tank SE (also known as UCMP V82040, UCMP 7043 and PFV 55), Apache County of Arizona, from the Norian-aged Upper Petrified Forest Member / Formation according to most authors, or possibly Sonsela Member of the Chinle Formation according to Parker & Irmis (2005). Ballew (1989) also referred to this species USNM 15839, another incomplete skull lacking the anterior half of the rostrum from Arizona. Long and Murry (1995) restricted this species to its holotype, although recent studies suggest that USNM 15839 is referable to it. Long and Murry (1995) also considered M. mccauleyi to be a species of their Arribasuchus, probably synonymous with A. buceros, although most subsequent studies, like Hungerbühler (2002), Parker and Irmis (2006), Stocker (2010) and Stocker and Butler (2013) treated M. mccauleyi as a valid species. Other specimens that are currently referred to M. mccauleyi include PEFO 31219, complete skull, lower jaws and articulated postcranial skeleton, from Petroglyph phytosaur site (also known as PFV 42) collected by UCMP in 1985, and possibly UCMP 27149, a large skull, from Cowboy (UCMP A257), both from the Petrified Forest Member, Arizona. Both specimen were originally referred to A. buceros by Long and Murry (1995).
Machaeroprosopus