Champsosaurus

Champsosaurus Fossil range: Late Cretaceous - Eocene
Restoration of Champsosaurus.
Scientific classification
Class	Sauropsida
Order	Choristodera
Family	Champsosauridae
Genus	Champsosaurus
Species	C. profundus (type) C. albertensis C. annectens C. australis C. brevicollis C. gigas C. laramiensis C. lindoei C. natator C. tenuis C. vaccinsulensis

Champsosaurus is an extinct genus of diapsid reptile belonging to the order Choristodera. It grew to about 1.50 m (5 ft) long.

Description[]

Champsosaurus resembled a gharial and, like gharials, hunted in rivers and swamps, catching fish with its long, tooth-lined jaws. It probably swam with lateral body movements, pinning its limbs against its body to increase its streamline, just like crocodiles and the Marine Iguana. Behind the eyes Champsosaurus's skull was very wide as powerful jaw muscles were attached here.

Its fossils have been found in North America (Alberta, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming) and Europe (Belgium and France).

Discovery[]

Its fossils have been found in North America (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, New Mexico, Texas,[4][5] and Wyoming) and Europe (Belgium and France), dating from the Upper Cretaceous to the mid Eocene. Its name means "crocodile lizard"; "Champso-" was taken from an Ancient Greek author's statement that "The Egyptians call the crocodiles χαμψαι [champsae]."

Neonate sized Champsosaurus have been documented in the scientific literature.

Taxonomy[]

Sixteen species of Champsosaurus have been named, of which seven are presently considered valid. The type species Champsosaurus annectens Cope, 1876 is considered to be dubious. The only named European species C. dolloi was considered to be too fragmentary to warrant a new species by Gao and Fox in 1998.