Ziphosuchia is a clade of mesoeucrocodylian crocodyliforms that includes notosuchians and sebecosuchians.
Ziphosuchians Temporal range: Middle Jurassic - Middle Miocene, | |
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Life restoration of Notosuchus terrestris | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauria |
Clade: | Pseudosuchia |
Clade: | Crocodylomorpha |
Clade: | Crocodyliformes |
Clade: | Mesoeucrocodylia |
Clade: | Metasuchia |
Clade: | †Notosuchia |
Clade: | †Ziphosuchia Ortega et al., 2000 |
Subgroups | |
Systematics
First constructed in 2000, it was considered to include Notosuchus, Libycosuchus, and Sebecosuchia.[1][2] In a 2004 phylogenetic study, it was defined as the most recent common ancestor of Notosuchus, Libycosuchus, and Baurusuchoidea and all of its descendants.[3]
Ziphosuchia is often considered to be the sister group of Neosuchia, a clade that includes modern crocodilians. Razanandrongobe is the oldest representative of this clade.[4]