CleanupBot II at 09:31, 14 August 2023

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{{Short description|Extinct genus of dinosaurs}}
{{automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = [[Late Cretaceous]], {{fossilrange|70|latest=66}}
| image = Laevisuchus cervical vertebra.png
| image_caption = Cervical vertebra K20/613 in multiple views
| taxon = Laevisuchus
| authority = [[Friedrich von Huene|Huene]] & [[Charles Alfred Matley|Matley]], 1933
| type_species = {{extinct}}'''''Laevisuchus indicus'''''
| type_species_authority = [[Friedrich von Huene|Huene]] & [[Charles Alfred Matley|Matley]], 1933
}}
'''''Laevisuchus''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|l|ɛ|v|ɪ|ˈ|sj|uː|k|ə|s}}, "light crocodile") is a [[genus]] of [[Theropoda|theropod]] [[dinosaur]] from the [[Late Cretaceous]]. Its remains were discovered by [[Charles Alfred Matley]] near [[Jabalpur]] in [[Maastrichtian]] deposits in the [[Lameta Formation]] in [[India]], and were named and described by [[paleontologist]]s [[Friedrich von Huene]] and Matley in 1933.<ref>F. v. Huene and C. A. Matley, 1933, "The Cretaceous Saurischia and Ornithischia of the Central Provinces of India", ''Palaeontologica Indica (New Series), Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India'' '''21'''(1): 1-74</ref> The [[type species]] is '''''Laevisuchus indicus'''''. The generic name is derived from [[Latin]] ''laevis'', "light" and the Greek name for the Egyptian crocodile god, ''Soukhos''. The [[specific name (zoology)|specific name]] means "Indian" in [[Latin]]. It is known only from three cervical [[vertebrae]] (GSI K20/613, GSI K20/614 and GSI K27/696) and a dorsal vertebra (GSI K27/588). A [[holotype]] was not assigned by Huene and Matley and a [[lectotype]] has never been chosen from the [[syntype]]s. All remains except GSI K27/696 were lost; GSI K20/613 was rediscovered in 2012.

==Description==
''Laevisuchus'' was a small bipedal carnivore. In 1998 [[David Lambert (author)|David Lambert]] estimated it was some {{convert|2|m|ft|spell=in}} long, {{convert|0.9|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} high, and approximately {{convert|30|kg|lb|abbr=on}} in weight.<ref name="lambert1998">Lambert, D. (1998). ''The Wordsworth Book of Dinosaurs'', Britain: Mackays of Chatham PLC.</ref>

==Classification==
''Laevisuchus'' was originally classified by Huene as a [[coelurid]] due to the similarity of its vertebrae with those of ''[[Aristosuchus]]''. However, an analysis in 2004 has shown it to be an [[abelisaur]]oid because of its long epipophyses, a pair of foramina on the centrum, and low and triangular neural spines. The vertebrae specifically resemble those of [[noasaurid]]s like ''[[Masiakasaurus]]'' and ''[[Noasaurus]]'' due to having more anteriorly placed neural spines and posteriorly reduced [[epipophyses]]<ref name="tykoskirowe2004">Tykoski, R.S. & Rowe, T. (2004). "Ceratosauria". In: Weishampel, D.B., Dodson, P., & Osmolska, H. (Eds.) ''The Dinosauria'' (2nd edition). Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 47–70 {{ISBN|0-520-24209-2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Novas|first=Fernando|last2=Agnolin|first2=Federico|last3=Bandyopadhyay|first3=Saswati|date=2004|title=Cretaceous theropods from India: A review of specimens described by Huene and Matley (1933)|url=http://revista.macn.gov.ar/ojs/index.php/RevMus/article/viewFile/74/67|journal=Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, nuevo serie|volume=6|issue=1|pages=67–103}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[Timeline of ceratosaur research]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110718230845/http://dinosaurier-info.de/animals/dinosaurs/pages_l/laevisuchus.php Dinosaurier-Info] {{in lang|de}}

{{Theropoda|B.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1850654}}

[[Category:Late Cretaceous dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Abelisaurs]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs of India and Madagascar]]
[[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1933]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Friedrich von Huene]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Charles Alfred Matley]]

{{theropod-stub}}

Laevisuchus - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 09:31, 14 August 2023