Candidodon Explained

Candidodon is an extinct genus of notosuchian mesoeucrocodylian. Fossils have been found in the Early Cretaceous Itapecuru Formation in Brazil.

Description

The genus is characterized by a particularly elongate pair of choanae in its palate.^[1] It has been named the type genus of the family Candidodontidae, first constructed in 2004.^[2] It was initially assigned to the family with a proposed sister genus, Mariliasuchus, but a recent phylogenetic analysis has shown that Mariliasuchus may instead be closer in relation to Comahuesuchus than to Candidodon and thus a member of the family Comahuesuchidae.^[3] If this is true, Candidodon would be the only member of the family Candidodontidae.

Notes and References

1. de Andrade, M. B., Bertini, R. J. and Pinheiro, A. E. P. (2006) Observations on the palate and choanae structures in Mesoeucrocodylia (Archosauria, Crocodylomorpha): phylogenetic implications. Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia 9(3):323-332.
2. 10.1016/S1342-937X(05)71079-0 . Carvalho . I. . Ribeiro . L. C. B. . Avilla . L. . 2004 . Uberabasuchus terrificus sp. nov., a new Crocodylomorpha from the Bauru Basin (Upper Cretaceous), Brazil . Gondwana Research . 7 . 4. 975–1002 . 2004GondR...7..975C .
3. 10.1206/0003-0082(2006)3512[1:ROTCMO]2.0.CO;2 . Zaher . H. . Pol . D. . Carvalho . A. B. . Riccomini . C. . Campos . D. . Navas . W. . 2006 . Re-description of the cranial morphology of Mariliasuchus amarali, and its phylogenetic affinities (Crocodyliformes, Notosuchia) . American Museum Novitates . 3512 . 1–40 . 73552420 .