A new late Pleistocene fossil crocodile from Sudan reveals hidden diversity of Crocodylus in Africa.

ABSTRACT: While Crocodylus fossils are common in late Cenozoic deposits of Africa, there is a lack of knowledge about species diversity within the genus, especially after the Early Pleistocene. Here we report on a complete skull of a new fossil Crocodylus from the Late Pleistocene of the Middle Atbara River, eastern Sudan. Cranial morphology resembles Plio-Pleistocene species of Crocodylus from Africa in having upturned squamosals, though not as prominently developed as in these species, whereas the skull differs from fossil and extant Crocodylus in having a vaulted sagittal boss on the dorsal surface of the rostrum, and in the absence of a supraoccipital exposure on the dorsal skull table. Phylogenetic analyses indicate the Atbara Crocodylus represents a separate species and is more closely related

SUBMITTER: Salih K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12316981 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature