Tyrannoneustes Explained

Tyrannoneustes is an extinct genus of geosaurine metriorhynchid crocodyliform from the Callovian stage Oxford Clay Formation of England and the Marnes de Dives of France. It contains a single species, Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos, meaning "blood-biting tyrant swimmer".^{[1] [2] [3]}

History and description

The genus was rediscovered after a century of storage in a museum basement after being unearthed by fossil hunter Alfred Nicholson Leeds between the years of 1907 and 1909. Its lower jaw measured about 26 inches long and its teeth were blade-like, likely built to attack prey as large or larger than itself, similar to the Late Jurassic Dakosaurus, Torvoneustes, and Plesiosuchus. The holotype specimen was estimated to be more than in total body length by Young and his colleagues.^[2] Two other specimens (PETMG:R176 and NHMUK PV R3939) belonged to much larger individuals, measuring and in total body length, respectively.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Waskow, K., Grzegorczyk, D. & Sander, P.M. The first record of Tyrannoneustes (Thalattosuchia: Metriorhynchidae): a complete skull from the Callovian (late Middle Jurassic) of Germany. PalZ 92, 457–480 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-017-0395-z
2. Young . M. T. . De Andrade . M. B. . Brusatte . S. L. . Sakamoto . M. . Liston . J. . The oldest known metriorhynchid super-predator: A new genus and species from the Middle Jurassic of England, with implications for serration and mandibular evolution in predacious clades . 10.1080/14772019.2012.704948 . Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 475–513 . 2013 . 11 . 4 . 85276836 .
3. News: Ancient 'super-croc' fossil discovered in museum drawer: And they didn't call enormous Tyrannoneustes 'blood-biting tyrant swimmer' for nothing . https://web.archive.org/web/20130131111418/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50640378/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.UQlkOqWmDww . dead . 31 January 2013 . Charles Choi . 2013-01-30 .
4. Foffa. D.. Young. M.T.. 2014. The cranial osteology of Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos (Crocodylomorpha: Metriorhynchidae) from the Middle Jurassic of Europe. PeerJ. 2. e608. 10.7717/peerj.608. 25289192 . 4185291 . free.