page_title: Araripesuchus
section_title: Classification
hierarchical_section_title: Araripesuchus / Classification
caption_attribution_description: Right dentary of the crocodyliform Araripesuchus rattoides sp. n. Isolated right dentarylacking teeth (holotype CMN 41893). A Lateral view (reversed). B Medial view. C Dorsal view. D Anterior view.Scale bars equal 2 cm in A-C and 1 cm in D. Abbreviations: ad1, 3, 4, 8, 11, 13, 14, alveolus for dentarytooth 1, 3, 4, 8, 11, 13, 14; asp, articular surface for the splenial; dsym, dentary symphysis; fen, fenestra; fo,foramen; Mc, Meckel’s canal; rdsym, rough dentary symphysis; sdsym, smooth dentary symphysis.
context_page_description: Araripesuchus is a genus of extinct crocodyliform that existed during the Cretaceous period of the late Mesozoic era some 125 to 66 million years ago. Six species of Araripesuchus are currently known. They are generally considered to be notosuchians, characterized by their varied teeth types and distinct skull elements. This genus consisists of other five related species: A. wegeneri and A. rattoides, discovered in Niger, A. tsangatsangana, discovered in Madagascar, A. gomesii, discovered in Brazil and another species discovered in Argentina, A. patagonicus.
context_section_description: There are currently six recognized species within the genus Araripesuchus: A. patagonicus, A. buitreraensis, A. tsangatsangana, A. wegeneri, A. rattoides and the type species A. gomesii. The placement of the first African species discovered, A. wegeneri was questioned for a while by various authors. Ortega et al. argued for the assignment of the errant species to another genus based on phylogenetic analysis Further analysis, combined with the discovery of the second African species A. tsangatsangana has shed more light on the placement of A. wegeneri within the genus. When analyzed together, the African species support the inclusion of all five first described species into the same genus.
  The genus was originally assigned by Price to the family Uruguaysuchidae in the original 1959 description. This classification was followed by Buffetaut in 1981 with the description of A. wegeneri also within the same family. However, in their 2000 description of A. patagonicus, Ortega et al. avoided placing the species within the family. Instead, it was simply noted that Uruguaysuchus was a possible close relative of the genus.
  Ortega et al. and several other studies place Araripesuchus outside Notosuchia. In some phylogenetic analyses, it is placed closer to the clade Neosuchia, which includes modern crocodilians. In most recent analyses, however, Araripesuchus is placed as a basal notosuchian. The phylogenetic analysis of Soto et al. (2011) joined Araripesuchus with Uruguaysuchus, reinstating the family Uruguaysuchidae. This family was found to be the most basal group of Notosuchia. Below is a cladogram from the analysis:
caption: Holotype left dentary of A. rattoides
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