Extinct Archosaurs Codexery

Deinosuchus

A massive extinct eusuchian, possibly an alligatoroid or stem-group crocodilian, known from Late Cretaceous fossils across North America.

Last updated

Despite its enormous size, its overall appearance was fairly similar to modern crocodilians, though it had a proportionally longer skull.[1]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassReptilia
  4. CladePseudosuchia
  5. CladeCrocodylomorpha
  6. Genus†Deinosuchus

Named by Holland, 1909

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Deinosuchus (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Quick Facts

Type species
Deinosuchus hatcheri

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

The genus name Deinosuchus comes from Greek words meaning "terrible crocodile".[2] The largest Deinosuchus surpassed 9 meters in total length.[1] A 2025 study by Walter and colleagues argued that Deinosuchus may not be a true crocodilian, but a derived non-crocodilian eusuchian.[1] Two large fossil teeth from North Carolina's Tar Heel Formation were described by geologist Ebenezer Emmons in 1858, and these were later understood to be the first Deinosuchus remains.[3]

In 1909, W. J. Holland gave the name Deinosuchus hatcheri to a new genus and species based on specimens from Montana.[2] Giant crocodilian fossils were collected from Big Bend National Park in Texas during a 1940 expedition by the American Museum of Natural History.[4] Deinosuchus possessed a broad snout similar to an alligator's, with a bulbous tip and teeth suited for crushing rather than piercing.[5][6] In the coastal regions of eastern North America, Deinosuchus was an opportunistic apex predator.[7]

What the cited sources add

A 2020 study confirmed that Deinosuchus had teeth "the size of bananas" and could take down very large dinosaurs.[8] The same study identified two western species, Deinosuchus hatcheri and Deinosuchus riograndensis, and one eastern species, Deinosuchus schwimmeri.[8] The Delaware Geological Survey reports that Deinosuchus scutes have been recovered alongside marine reptile and dinosaur remains in Delaware.[9]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Walter, "Expanded phylogeny elucidates Deinosuchus relationships, crocodylian osmoregulation and body-size evolution", Communications Biology, 2025 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Holland, "Deinosuchus hatcheri, a new genus and species of crocodile from the Judith River beds of Montana", Annals of the Carnegie Museum, 1909, p. 281–294 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Emmons, "Report of the North Carolina Geological Survey", Henry D. Turner, 1858, p. 219–22; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 17–41; Emmons, "Report of the North Carolina Geological Survey", Henry D. Turner, 1858, p. 219–22 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 17–41; Baird, D., "Cretaceous dinosaurs of North Carolina", Brimleyana, 1979, p. 1–28; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 17–41; International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, "Notice of New Applications to the Commission (Cases 3885–3900)", Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 2024, p. 2–3 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 1–16; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 107–135; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 42–63; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 107–135 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 167–192; Schwimmer, "King of the Crocodylians: The Paleobiology of Deinosuchus", Indiana University Press, 2002, p. 107–135 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Deinosuchus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cossette, "A systematic review of the giant alligatoroidDeinosuchusfrom the Campanian of North America and its implications for the relationships at the root of Crocodylia", Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, January 2, (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "New study confirms the power of Deinosuchus and its 'teeth the size of bananas'". facts only, no text reused. phys.org
  9. "Dinosaurs in Delaware? The Delaware Geological Survey", www.dgs.udel.edu. facts only, no text reused. dgs.udel.edu

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Deinosuchus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Also in the Codexery

Deinosuchus · Ancient Reptiles

More in Extinct Archosaurs

DimorphodonDinosaurDsungaripterusEffigiaEoraptorFeathered dinosaurHalszkaraptorHerrerasaurusHeterodontosaurusHypsilophodonEuparkeriaAbelisauridae

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →