The year 2018 in archosaur paleontology was eventful. Archosaurs include the only living dinosaur group — birds — and the reptile crocodilians, plus all extinct dinosaurs, extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosaur palaeontology is the scientific study of those animals, especially as they existed before the Holocene Epoch began about 11,700 years ago. The year 2018 in paleontology included various significant developments regarding archosaurs.
This article records new taxa of fossil archosaurs of every kind that have been described during the year 2018, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of archosaurs that occurred in the year 2018.
General research A study on the morphology of dorsal vertebrae of extant and fossil archosaurs, and on its implications for inferring lung structure in non-avian dinosauriform archosaurs, is published by Brocklehurst, Schachner & Sellers (2018). A study on the hip joint mobility of the extant common quail, and its implications for inferring the hip joint range of motion in extinct ornithodirans, is published by Manafzadeh & Padian (2018). A study on the soft tissue anatomy of the hip joint in non-dinosaurian dinosauromorphs and early dinosaurs is published by Tsai et al. (2018). A study on the assembly of the body plan of birds along the whole avian stem-lineage, especially in non-avian dinosaurs, reconstructing the large-scale patterns of the evolution of bird-like traits in bird ancestors, is published by Cau (2018), who names new clades Dracohors and Maniraptoromorpha. A study on the histology of limb bones of Anchiornis, Aurornis, Eosinopteryx, Serikornis and Jeholornis, and on the dynamics of skeletal growth in these taxa, is published by Prondvai et al. (2018). Discovery of fossilised skin in specimens of Beipiaosaurus, Sinornithosaurus, Microraptor and Confuciusornis from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota is reported by McNamara et al. (2018). Two theropod bones, preserving shark and crocodyliform feeding traces and invertebrate traces, are described from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Navesink Formation (New Jersey, United States) by Brownstein (2018). A study on the relationship between bony and muscular features of the tongue in living archosaurs, and on the evolution of the morphology of the bony elements of the tongue in bird-line archosaurs, is published by Li, Zhou & Clarke (2018). An archosaur trackway consisting of 10 successive pes imprints is described from the Upper Triassic Irohalene Member of the Timezgadiouine Formation (Morocco) by Zouheir et al. (2018), supporting a cosmopolitan distribution of pentadactyl but functionally tridactyl chirotheres (Parachirotherium) and grallatorids across the Ladinian-Carnian boundary, and documenting the occurrence of very large Eubrontes trackmakers in the early Carnian. A large assemblage of archosaur (dinosaur, pterosaur and crocodylomorph) tracks is described from the Cretaceous Naturita Formation (Utah, United States) by Lockley, Burton & Grondel (2018). A study on assemblages of nesting ring-billed gulls, California gulls, American white pelicans and double-crested cormorants at Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge (Montana, United States), evaluating their utility as taphonomic models for interpreting nesting sites of fossils archosaurs, is published online by Ferguson, Varricchio & Ferguson (2018).
Pseudosuchians Research A study on the jaw musculature and biomechanics of Venaticosuchus rusconii based on rediscovered cranial materials is published by Von Baczko (2018). Three differently sized braincases diagnosable as belonging to Parringtonia gracilis are described from the Triassic Manda Beds of Tanzania by Nesbitt et al. (2018). A study on the histology of osteoderms of Late Triassic aetosaurs from South America, including Aetosauroides scagliai, Aetobarbakinoides brasiliensis and Neoaetosauroides engaeus, is published by Cerda, Desojo & Scheyer (2018). Description of new skull material of Aetosauroides scagliai from the Santa Maria Supersequence (Brazil) and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this species is published by Biacchi Brust et al. (2018). The first known natural endocast of an aetosaur (Neoaetosauroides engaeus) is described by von Baczko, Taborda & Desojo (2018). Redescription of the aetosaur species Calyptosuchus wellesi is published by Parker (2018). A study on the anatomy of the skeleton of Coahomasuchus chathamensis and on the phylogenetic relationships of aetosaurs is published by Hoffman, Heckert & Zanno (2018). A restudy of the referred material of Stagonolepis robertsoni housed at the Natural History Museum, London, evaluating the utility of this material for examining the phylogenetic relationships of S. robertsoni, is published by Parker (2018). Description of the forelimbs of Stagonolepis olenkae and a study on the probable use of the forelimbs by members of this species is published by Dróżdż (2018). New information on the bonebed from the Triassic Badong Formation in Sangzhi County (Hunan, China) preserving the majority of the known fossil material of Lotosaurus adentus is published by Hagen et al. (2018), who also reassess the provenance and age of the deposit. A study on the anatomy of the best-preserved skeleton of Prestosuchus chiniquensis, as well as on the phylogenetic relationships of this species, is published online by Roberto-Da-Silva et al. (2018). A study on the anatomy of the backbone of Poposaurus langstoni is published by Stefanic & Nesbitt (2018). A study on the morphology of the secondary palate in shartegosuchids, based on data from a new specimen of Shartegosuchus from the Ulan Malgait Formation (Mongolia), is published by Dollman et al. (2018). Description of the braincase and the brain endocast, vasculature, inner ear, and paratympanic pneumatic cavities of Steneosaurus bollensis and Cricosaurus araucanensis is published by Herrera, Leardi & Fernández (2018). A skull of a member of the genus Tyrannoneustes is described from the Middle Jurassic (Callovian) of Germany by Waskow, Grzegorczyk & Sander (2018). New specimen of Neuquensuchus universitas, providing new information on the skeletal anatomy of members of the species, is described from the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Argentina) by Lio et al. (2018). A redescription of the anatomy of the skull of Notosuchus terrestris is published by Barrios et al. (2018). A study on the anatomy of the skull of Morrinhosuchus luziae is published by Iori et al. (2018). A study on the anatomic structures and tooth wear related to mastication in Caipirasuchus is published by Iori & Carvalho (2018). A study on the taphonomy of the baurusuchid specimens (as well as non-avian theropods and titanosaur sauropod dinosaurs) from the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Group (Brazil) is published by Bandeira et al. (2018), who argue that low diversity of known theropods in the Bauru Group might be caused by preservational biases, and does not conclusively indicate that baurusuchids outcompeted theropods as top predators in this area. A study on the evolution of the skull morphology of baurusuchids is published by Godoy et al. (2018). New baurusuchid fossils are described from the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Argentina) by Leardi, Pol & Gasparini (2018). A study on the bone microanatomy of Pepesuchus deiseae is published by Sena et al. (2018). Neosuchian crocodylomorph fossils are described from the Bathonian Peski locality in the Moscow Region (Russia) by Pashchenko et al. (2018), who note the similarity of Bathonian vertebrate faunas of the Moscow Region, United Kingdom, Western Siberia and Kyrgyzstan, which they interpret as indicative of faunal homogeneity on the territory of Laurasia. New fossil remains of Sarcosuchus are described from the Aptian-Albian deposits of the Tataouine Basin (Tunisia) by Dridi (2018). A revision of Trematochampsa taqueti and all fossil material assigned to the species is published by Meunier & Larsson (2018). Description of pelvic and femoral remains of allodaposuchids from the Upper Cretaceous of the Lo Hueco fossil site (Spain) is published by de Celis, Narváez & Ortega (2018). Fossils of a eusuchian crocodyliform are described from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Khok Kruat Formation (Thailand) by Kubo et al. (2018), representing the oldest record of Asian eusuchians reported so far. Description of a new skull of Susisuchus anatoceps from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation (Brazil), providing new information on the anatomy of this species, and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of Susisuchus is published by Leite & Fortier (2018). A study on the taphonomic history of the holotype, paratypes and referred specimens of Isisfordia duncani is published by Syme & Salisbury (2018). A study on the phylogenetic relationships of Thoracosaurus, Eothoracosaurus, Eosuchus, Eogavialis and Argochampsa, evaluating whether they were closely related to the gharial, is published by Lee & Yates (2018). A study on the length proportion of limb elements in extant and fossil alligatoroid and crocodyloid crocodylians, as well as on the correlation of limb morphology and skull shape in these groups, is published by Iijima, Kubo & Kobayashi (2018). New specimen of Bottosaurus harlani is described from the Rowan Fossil Quarry, a Cretaceous–Paleogene locality in Mantua Township (New Jersey, United States) by Cossette & Brochu (2018). A reassessment of the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Asiatosuchus nanlingensis and Eoalligator chunyii is published by Wu, Li & Wang (2018), who reinstate the latter taxon as a species distinct from the former one. Redescription of the holotype specimen of Mourasuchus arendsi from the Urumaco Formation of Venezuela is published online by Cidade et al. (2018). A study on the ontogenetic changes of the skull shape in extant caimans and its implications for the validity of the Miocene species Melanosuchus fisheri is published by Foth et al. (2018). A study on the histology of long bones of extant yacare caiman and fossil caimans from the Upper Miocene–Pliocene Solimões Formation (Brazil) is published online by Andrade et al. (2018). A study on two fossil specimens of caimans from the late Pleistocene and early Holocene of Brazil, attempting to assign the fossils' identity to one of the extant caiman species on the basis of records of their current distribution and paleoclimatic data, is published by Eduardo et al. (2018). A fragment of a mandible of a member of the genus Gryposuchus is described from the Miocene (≈18 Ma) Castillo Formation (Venezuela) by Solórzano, Núñez-Flores & Rincón (2018), representing the earliest record of the genus in South America reported so far. A revision of the type species of the genus Gryposuchus, G. jessei, is published by Souza et al. (2018). A revision of crocodilian fossils and taxa from the Calvert Cliffs (United States) is published by Weems (2018). Partial crocodylian skull from the Pleistocene of Taiwan, formerly regarded as lost during World War II, is rediscovered and redescribed by Ito et al. (2018), who assign this specimen to the genus Toyotamaphimeia. Fossils of large crocodylians, as well as tortoise fossils with feeding traces on them, are described from the Pleistocene of Aldabra (Seychelles) by Scheyer et al. (2018), who interpret their findings as indicating the occurrence of a predator–prey interaction between crocodylians and giant tortoises on Aldabra during the Late Pleistocene. Late Quaternary fossils representing a locally extinct population of the Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) are reported from two underwater caves in the Dominican Republic by Morgan et al. (2018). A new large and well-preserved specimen of Prestosuchus chiniquensis is published by Roberto-da-Silva et al. (2018).
New taxa