Rhamphosuchus
Traditionally, many palaeontologists estimated that it was one of the largest, if not the largest crocodylian that ever lived, reaching an estimated length of . However, a more recent study suggests that the animal may have been 8–11 m (26 to 36 ft) in length, and therefore is not the largest known crocodylian. Another crocodylian, "Purussaurus", from the Miocene of Peru and Brazil, is known from an equally incomplete fossil set. It is estimated to have been similar in length to the initial estimates at approximately 12 m (about 40ft). However, this would mean that it would have been somewhat larger in size if the more recent size estimates for "Rhamphosuchus" are correct. If the most recent estimate is correct, then several other extinct crocodylians also surpassed "Rhamphosuchus" in length, such as the Late Cretaceous alligatoroid "Deinosuchus", the Early Cretaceous pholidosaurid "Sarcosuchus", the Miocene gavialid "Gryposuchus" and the strange planktivorous "Mourasuchus" (a contemporary of "Purussaurus"), at 12 m, 9.5 m, 10.15 m, and 12 m, respectively. "Rhamphosuchus" was previously regarded as a close relative of the modern false gharial within the subfamily Tomistominae. However, Tomistominae in its traditional sense is now known to be paraphyletic, and a 2022 study by Iijima and colleagues recovered "Rhamphosuchus" as a derived member of the subfamily Gavialinae instead. "Rhamphosuchus" probably had a more generalized predatory diet than the piscivory of other "tomistomines".
Overview
Rhamphosuchus ("Beak crocodile") is an extinct genus of gavialid crocodylians. Its type species is "Rhamphosuchus crassidens", which is only known from incomplete sets of fossils, mostly teeth and skulls.