Gavialoidea
Superfamily of large reptiles / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gavialoidea is one of three superfamilies of crocodylians, the other two being Alligatoroidea and Crocodyloidea. Although many extinct species are known, only the gharial Gavialis gangeticus and the false gharial Tomistoma schlegelii are alive today, with Hanyusuchus having become extinct in the last few centuries.
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Subgroups ...
Gavialoidea | |
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Indian gharial, Gavialis gangeticus | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
Clade: | Archosauriformes |
Order: | Crocodilia |
Clade: | Longirostres |
Superfamily: | Gavialoidea Hay, 1930 |
Subgroups | |
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Extinct South American gavialoids likely dispersed in the mid Tertiary from Africa and Asia.[4] Fossil remains of the Puerto Rican gavialoid Aktiogavialis puertorisensis were discovered in a cave located in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico and dated to the Oligocene. This individual is thought to have crossed the Atlantic coming from Africa, indicating that this species was able to withstand saltwater.[5]