Goniopholis
Goniopholis (meaning "angled scale") is an extinct genus of goniopholidid crocodyliform that lived in Europe during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous.[1][2] Like other goniopholidids, it resembled living crocodilians, and probably had a similar ecology as semi-aquatic ambush predators
The type species of the genus is 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.[1][2] The species G. kiplingi honors the author Rudyard Kipling, "in recognition for his enthusiasm for natural sciences".[1] G. kiplingi had skull reaching 475.6 mm (18.72 in), it is one of the largest goniopholidid along with Amphicotylus milesi which had skull reaching 43 cm (17 in).[1][3] Based on skull length, total body length of G. kiplingi is estimated at 3.47 m (11.4 ft).[1]
A partial skeleton of an indeterminate species of Goniopholis has been recovered from the Berriasian aged Angeac-Charente bonebed of France.[5]
Goniopholis have been inferred to have been ectothermic on the basis of bone histology and stable isotope analysis.[6]
Two species were referred to Goniopholis from Brazil. Goniopholis hartti from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil is in fact a member of the genus Sarcosuchus.[1] G. paulistanus, based on two tooth crowns and a disassociated fragment of the right tibia from the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Group, has been reassigned to Itasuchidae and given its own genus Roxochampsa.[7]
From North America, G. lucasii and G. kirtlandicus are currently placed in their own genera Amphicotylus and Denazinosuchus, respectively,[1] while G. felix, G. gilmorei, and G. stovalli, all from the Morrison Formation, are referable to Amphicotylus and closely related to Eutretauranosuchus which are known from the same formation.[8][9][10]
