Archovember 2025 Day 15
Pseudosuchian Litargosuchus leptorhynchus, of Early Jurassic, South Africa!
This tiny, long-legged pseudosuchian is Litargosuchus leptorhynchus, meaning “fast-running crocodile with a gracile snout”. Litargosuchus is part of the paraphyletic “Sphenosuchia”, a group of basal, small crocodylomorphs with a similar slender, upright posture. With its long legs, Litargosuchus would have been a fast runner, loping after its prey like a tiny wolf… its prey likely being insects and small lizards.
Hailing from the Elliot Formation of Early Jurassic, South Africa, Litargosuchus was certainly not at the top of the food chain. The most common species in this formation was the early sauropodomorph Massospondylus, of which there were two species present, M. carinatus and M. kaalae. But many sauropodomorphs lived here, including Aardonyx, Antetonitrus, Arcusaurus, Pulanesaura, and Sefapanosaurus. Largest of these was the giant early sauropodomorph Ledumahadi, which could have surely crushed the tiny pseudosuchian underfoot if it wasn’t quick enough! Sauropodomorphs were not the only herbivorous dinosaurs here though, as basal ornithischians were also somewhat common. These included Abrictosaurus, Eocursor, Heterodontosaurus, Lesothosaurus, Lycorhinus, and Pegomastax, as well as an indeterminate thyreophoran. Theropod dinosaurs included the dilophosaurid Dracovenator and the coelophysid Megapnosaurus. Litargosuchus was not the only pseudosuchian here, there was also the lizard-like Orthosuchus, and the slightly larger sphenosuchian Sphenosuchus. Synapsids lived here too, including the shrew-like cynodont Megazostrodon rudnerae, which was possible prey for Litargosuchus.
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