Dyrosaurus (SciiFii)

Dyrosaurus is a genus of crocodylomorph that lived from the upper Cretaceous to the Eocene period, surviving the K-Pg extinction event.[1] Dyrosaurus are linked to pholidosaurids as a clade and are defined as slender-snouted, fish-eating specialists adapted to near-shore marine habitats.[2]

The Dyrosauridae are a group of mostly marine, long jawed, crocodile-like quadrupeds up to 6 metres (20 ft) long.[3] Based on bone tissue evidence, it has been hypothesized that they were slow-growing[4] near-shore marine animals with interlocking closed jaws,[4] able to swim as well as walk on land. External nostrils at the posterior end of its snout and an internal naris in its pterygoid indicated a habit of hunting while swimming with the top of the head above the water, enabling it to breathe while stalking prey.[3]

Fossils from this genus have been found in Africa, Europe, North and South America, Southern Asia and India.[5] Although the family Dyrosauridae is quite diverse with many forms of crocodyliforms, the genus Dyrosaurus has only two described species: D. phosphaticus and D. maghribensis. D. phosphaticus was first discovered in Algeria and Tunsinia whereas D. maghribensis has only been found in Morocco.[6] D. maghribensis differs from D. phosphaticus by several synapomorphies, most notably: a smooth dorsal margin of the parietal and widely opened choanae, interfenestral bar wide and strongly T shaped instead of moderately T shaped.