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Apatosuchus Temporal range: Norian ~222–208 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Archosauria
Clade:	Pseudosuchia
Clade:	Loricata
Genus:	†Apatosuchus Sues & Schoch, 2013
Species:	†A. orbitoangulatus
Binomial name
†Apatosuchus orbitoangulatus von Huene, 1932
Synonyms
Halticosaurus orbitoangulatus von Huene, 1932

Apatosuchus is an extinct genus of non-crocodylomorph loricatan pseudosuchian known from the Late Triassic of Germany. It is known from a partial holotype skull from the middle Stubensandstein (a deposit that dates back to the Norian stage and is part of the Löwenstein Formation) in Baden-Württemberg. The type species is Halticosaurus orbitoangulatus. A. orbitoangulatus was first described by German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1932, who considered it a species of the theropod dinosaur Halticosaurus. Some later studies proposed that it was an early crocodylomorph or "sphenosuchian" like Saltoposuchus, another pseudosuchian from the middle Stubensandstein of Baden-Württemberg. The name Apatosuchus, "deceptive crocodile", was erected for H. orbitoangulatus by Hans-Dieter Sues and Rainer R. Schoch in 2013 when it was realized that the known material represented a pseudosuchian archosaur rather than a dinosaur, as a result of further preparation of the specimen, coining the combinatio nova Apatosuchus orbitoangulatus. Apatosuchus is now thought to be a basal member of the clade Loricata. Apatosuchus is much smaller than other basal loricatans such as Teratosaurus  and Batrachotomus.

Phylogeny

A phylogenetic analysis performed by Sues & Schoch (2013) found Apatosuchus to be the sister taxon of the clade formed by Batrachotomus and more derived loricatans. This position was supported by two unambiguous synapomorphies: the presence of a ridge on the dorsal surface of squamosal along the edge of supratemporal fossa, and concaved rear portion of the nasals at the midline. The data matrix of Sues & Schoch (2013), a list of characteristics that was used in the analysis, was based on that of Nesbitt (2011), one of the most extensive on archosaurs. Below is a cladogram from the analysis.

References

1. Huene, F. von. (1932). Die fossile Reptil-Ordnung Saurischia, ihre Entwicklung und Geschichte. Monogr. Geol. Pal. 4 (1) pts. 1 and 2, viii + 361 pp.
2. ^ Sues, H. D.; Schoch, R. R. (2013). "Reassessment of cf. Halticosaurus orbitoangulatus from the Upper Triassic (Norian) of Germany - a pseudosuchian, not a dinosaur". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 168 (4): 859. doi:10.1111/zoj.12038.

v t e Pseudosuchia
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Archosauria Sauropsida see Sauropsida Archosauromorpha see Archosauromorpha Pseudosuchia see below↓
Pseudosuchia Pseudosuchia †Dasygnathoides †Nundasuchus †Phytosauria? †Ornithosuchidae Aenigmaspina? Dynamosuchus Ornithosuchus Riojasuchus Venaticosuchus Suchia †Heteropelta? †Koilamasuchus? †Mandasuchus †Nundasuchus? †Ticinosuchus †Erpetosuchidae Archeopelta? Dyoplax? Erpetosuchus Pagosvenator Parringtonia Tarjadia †Aetosauriformes Acaenasuchus Euscolosuchus Revueltosaurus Aetosauria see Aetosauria †Gracilisuchidae Gracilisuchus Maehary? Parvosuchus Turfanosuchus Yonghesuchus Paracrocodylomorpha see below↓
Paracrocodylomorpha Paracrocodylomorpha †Mambawakale †Poposauroidea Benggwigwishingasuchus Lotosaurus Schultzsuchus? Qianosuchus Ctenosauriscidae Arizonasaurus Bromsgroveia Bystrowisuchus Ctenosauriscus Hypselorhachis Tsylmosuchus? Xilousuchus Poposauridae Dolichobrachium Poposaurus Shuvosauridae Effigia Shuvosaurus Sillosuchus Loricata †Apatosuchus †Arganasuchus †Batrachotomus †Dagasuchus †Decuriasuchus †Etjosuchus †Fasolasuchus †Heptasuchus †Heteropelta? †Incertovenator? †Luperosuchus †Mandasuchus? †Prestosuchus †Procerosuchus †Saurosuchus †Stagonosuchus †Youngosuchus †Rauisuchidae Arganasuchus? Energosuchus? Jushatyria? Polonosuchus Postosuchus Procerosuchus? Rauisuchus Scolotosuchus Scythosuchus? Teratosaurus Tikisuchus? Vivaron Vjushkovisaurus? Vytshegdosuchus? Crocodylomorpha see below↓
Crocodylomorpha Crocodylomorpha †Carnufex †Dibothrosuchus †Dromicosuchus †Hesperosuchus †Heteropelta? †Junggarsuchus †Kayentasuchus †Parrishia †Phyllodontosuchus †Pseudhesperosuchus †Redondavenator †Sphenosuchus †Syntomiprosopus? †Trialestes †Saltoposuchidae Litargosuchus Saltoposuchus Terrestrisuchus †Hallopodidae Almadasuchus Hallopus Macelognathus †Thalattosuchia see Thalattosuchia Crocodyliformes †Entradasuchus †Eopneumatosuchus †Kemkemia †Microchampsa †Platyognathus †Stegomosuchus †Tagarosuchus †Protosuchidae Coloradisuchus Dianosuchus Edentosuchus Erythrochampsa Hemiprotosuchus Hoplosuchus Orthosuchus? Pedeticosaurus? Protosuchus †Notochampsidae Notochampsa Orthosuchus? †Gobiosuchidae Cassissuchus Gobiosuchus Lisboasaurus? Zaraasuchus Mesoeucrocodylia †Dianchungosaurus †Hsisosuchus †Induszalim †Lusitanisuchus †Neuquensuchus †Pachycheilosuchus? †Titanochampsa †Thalattosuchia? †Shartegosuchoidea Hadongsuchus Shantungosuchus Sichuanosuchus Zosuchus Shartegosuchidae Adzhosuchus Fruitachampsa Kyasuchus Nominosuchus Shartegosuchus Metasuchia †Ziphosuchia see Ziphosuchia includes notosuchians Neosuchia see Neosuchia includes crocodilians
See also: Rauisuchia Prestosuchidae Bathyotica Sphenosuchia Protosuchia Mesosuchia Category

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• Loricatans
• Late Triassic reptiles of Europe
• Norian life
• Triassic Germany
• Fossils of Germany
• Fossil taxa described in 2013
• Prehistoric pseudosuchian genera
• Prehistoric archosaur stubs