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''Goniopholis'' is an extinct genus of goniopholidid crocodyliform that lived in Europe during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Being semi-aquatic it is very similar to modern crocodiles. It ranged from 2–4 metres in length, and would have had a very similar lifestyle to the American alligator or Nile crocodile. ==Discovery and species== Through the years, many species of Goniopholididae have been referred to ''Goniopholis''. Most of these species are no longer considered to belong to this genus. Two species were referred to ''Goniopholis'' from Brazil. ''Goniopholis hartti'' (Marsh, 1869) from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil is in fact a member of the genus ''Sarcosuchus'', while ''G. paulistanus'' (Roxo, 1936), known only from two tooth crowns and a fragment of the right tibia from the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Group, is a ''nomen dubium'' referable only to Neosuchia ''incertae sedis''.〔 From North America, ''G. lucasii'' and ''G. kirtlandicus'' are currently placed in their own genera ''Amphicotylus'' and ''Denazinosuchus'', respectively,〔 while ''G. felix'', ''G. gilmorei'' (Holland, 1905) and ''G. stovalli'' (Mook, 1964), all from the Morrison Formation, are referable to ''Amphicotylus'' and closely related to ''Eutretauranosuchus'' which are known from the same formation. ''G. phuwiangensis'' (Buffetaut & Ingavat, 1983) is known from NE Thailand, but this species is fragmentary and was recently reassigned to ''Sunosuchus''. ''Nannosuchus'' from the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian stage) of England and Spain currently considered to be valid, was referred to as ''G. gracilidens'' by some authors.〔 Willett’s / Hulke’s, Hooley’s and Dollo’s goniopholidids represent several complete specimens previously classified as either ''G. simus'' or ''G. crassidens'',〔 and one of them was recently re-described as the new species, ''G. willetti'' (Salisbury & Naish, 2011). More recently these specimens were removed from ''Goniopholis'', and two of the, Hooley’s and Hulke’s goniopholidids, have been already reassigned to their own genera ''Anteophthalmosuchus'' and ''Hulkepholis'', respectively.〔 The type species of the genus, ''G. crassidens'' which is known from the Berriasian of England, and the referable species ''G simus'' from the Berriasian of NW Germany, might be conspecific. Other species that are referable to ''Goniopholis'' include ''G. kiplingi'' from the Berriasian of England, and ''G. baryglyphaeus'' from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) of Portugal making it the oldest known ''Goniopholis'' species.〔〔 The species ''G. kiplingi'' honors the author Rudyard Kipling, "in recognition for his enthusiasm for natural sciences". 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Goniopholis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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