Publication details
First record of Diplocynodon ratelii (Crocodylia: Diplocynodontidae) in the Czech Republic
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| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | The knowledge about the European extinct alligatoroids has been increased significantly during the last ten years, based on the erection of the two new species and the revision of the previously published taxa. Although the remains of the genus Diplocynodon are quite common in the northwest localities of Bohemian area, they have only been able to ascribed at genus level due absence of skull material. Here, we report the crocodylian remains from the Early Miocene Lom Coal Seam (MN3, Most Basin, NW Czech Republic). Among available remains housed at the Paleontological collections of Wien University, we focus our study in two partial skulls and few osteoderms, which are diagnostic at the genus rank. Our comparisons were based on alligatoroid taxa: Diplocynodon ratelii from the MN2 of Saint-Ge´rand-le-Puy (France) and the MN4 of Casots (Spain); D. ungeri from the MN5 of Schönegg (Austria); in the available published literature. According to cranial and osteoderms features, they are attributed to the Diplocynodon ratelii, which is the only taxonomically valid species from the early Miocene of Europe. The studied remains represent the first report of D. ratelii in Czech Republic, where only fragmentary postcranial and osteoderms of that genus from middle Eocene to Early Miocene had been previously reported. Furthermore, we are able to discuss the geographical and temporal distribution of the Diplocynodon ratelii in eastern part of Central of Europe. |