Ticinosuchus

Ticinosuchus Temporal range: Middle Triassic,
Ticinosuchus ferox fossil
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Archosauria
Clade:	Pseudosuchia
Clade:	Suchia
Genus:	†Ticinosuchus Krebs, 1965
Species:	†T. ferox
Binomial name
†Ticinosuchus ferox Krebs, 1965

Ticinosuchus is an extinct genus of suchian archosaur from the Middle Triassic (Anisian - Ladinian) of Switzerland and Italy.

Description

One of only a handful of fossil reptiles that have been found in Switzerland, Ticinosuchus (meaning "Ticino crocodile" due to its origin from the Swiss canton Ticino) was about 3 metres (10 ft) long, and its whole body, even the belly, was covered in thick, armoured scutes. These scutes were sometimes considered to have been staggered, alternating between several rows. However, some studies refute this claim, instead purporting that the scutes were aligned in neat rows, with a one-to-one assignment of scutes to vertebrae. The structure of the hips shows that its legs were placed under the body almost vertically. Coupled with the development of a calcaneus and a specialized ankle joint, this would have made Ticinosuchus a fast runner, unlike most earlier reptiles. Ticinosuchus is thought to be very close to or possible even the same species that made the Cheirotherium trace fossils found in Germany. It too shows a narrow track-way, similar to that of Ticinosuchus. It is one of the most famous fossils of Besano.

Fish scales have been preserved in the abdomen of the specimen. This was likely indicative of a piscivorous diet. Ticinosuchus shares many similarities with paracrocodylomorphs, such as certain adaptations of the ischium and possibly (but not certainly) hyposphene-hypantrum articulations.