Protosuchus
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Protosuchus (from Template:Langx, "first" and Template:Langx, "crocodile")<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> is an extinct genus of carnivorous crocodyliform from the Early Jurassic. It is among the earliest animals that resemble crocodilians. Protosuchus was about Template:Convert in length and about Template:Convert in weight.
As an early crocodilian relative, its skull featured more crocodilian characteristics than its earlier ancestors; it had short jaws that broadened out at the base of the skull, providing a large surface to which its jaw muscles could attach. This increased the maximum gape of the animal's mouth and the force with which the jaws could be closed. The dentition of the animal also resembled modern crocodiles, including the teeth in the lower jaw that fitted into notches on either side of the upper jaw when the mouth was closed.<ref name=EoDP>Template:Cite book</ref> It also possessed a powerful tail which later developed into a propulsion mechanism through water in its descendants.
The body was covered and reinforced by osteoderms in a double row along the back and covering the bottom of the body and the entire tail. It was an unusual quadrupedal reptile whose legs were columnar, with the rear legs longer than the front legs. Its five toes were clawed and it is believed that they were good runners and good swimmers.Template:Citation needed
SpeciesEdit
Three species of Protosuchus have been described: the type species P. richardsoni <ref name="richarsoni">"FossilWorks: Protosuchus richardsoni" , retrieved 26 Feb 2014</ref> from Arizona, United States, P. micmac<ref name="micmac">"Triassic-Jurassic faunal and floral transition in the Fundy Basin, Nova Scotia", Authors: Paul E. Olsen, Jessica H. Whiteside, Timothy Fedak, retrieved 26 Feb 2014</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> from Nova Scotia, Canada and P. haughtoni <ref name="haughtoni">"FossilWorks: Protosuchus haughtoni", retrieved 26 Feb 2014</ref> from South Africa.