Brochuchus

Brochuchus is an extinct genus of crocodile known from the Early Miocene Hiwegi Formation of Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria, Kenya; it was originally named as a species of "Crocodylus". It contains two species, B. parvidens and B. pigotti. "Brochuchus" belongs to the subfamily Crocodylinae, which includes all living crocodiles. The closest living relative of "Brochuchus" is "Osteolaemus", the dwarf crocodile. Compared to "Osteolaemus", which has a small body and blunt snout, "Brochuchus" has a more generalized crocodylid anatomy. "Brochuchus" is characterized by a flat and relatively narrow skull, and although it is larger than "Osteolaemus" it is smaller than most other crocodylids. It has two prominent bumps on the surface of its snout.
The genus was named in honor of Christopher A. Brochu, for his scientific work on Crocodylia and its relatives. The unusual combination and spelling are intended as an auditory and visual pun such that the ‘ch’ sound in Brochu takes the place of the ‘s’ sound in ‘suchus.’ combined with ‘souchus’ (Greek for crocodile), which is a common suffix for crocodylomorph genera.
Phylogeny.
A phylogenetic analysis published in 2013 found that "Brochuchus" was a close relative of "Osteolaemus". "Brochuchus" and "Osteolaemus "are part of a clade within Crocodylidae informally called "osteolaemins". They are closely related to the genus "Crocodylus", which includes most living crocodiles. Osteolaemins are among the most diverse groups within Crocodylidae, including the small-bodied and short-snouted "Osteolaemus, "the generalized and longer-snouted "Brochuchus", the moderate-sized and horned "Voay", and the very large-bodied "Rimasuchus". Within osteolaemins, "Brochuchus" is most closely related to KNM-LT 24081, an unnamed species from Lothagam in Tanzania, and to "Rimasuchus". Until recently another crocodylid from the Miocene and Pliocene of Africa called "Euthecodon" was thought to be closely related to "Osteolaemus", "Voay", and "Rimasuchus", and together they were grouped in a clade called Osteolaeminae. Recent phylogenetic analyses, including the 2013 analysis with "Brochuchus", place "Euthecodon "as a closer relative of the living "Mecistops" or slender-snouted crocodile. Together these two genera belong to a clade informally called "mecistopins" and are more closely related to the "Crocodylus "clade than are osteolaemins.
Paleobiology.
"Brochuchus" has a generalized crocodylid body form with a long, narrow snout and a robust skeleton. Like most other species within Crocodylidae, "Brochuchus "was probably predatory and likely spent much of its time in water. As shown by the many mammal fossils that have been found on Rusinga Island, "Brochuchus "lived alongside several species of proboscideans (elephant relatives) and primates, the most famous of which is the early ape "Proconsul". Although there is no direct evidence for what "Brochuchus "ate, it may have preyed on "Proconsul". If this is the case, "Brochuchus" may have been one of the earliest anthropoidophagous ("ape-eating") crocodilians.