This article records new taxa of every kind of fossil archosaur that are scheduled to be described during 2024, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to the paleontology of archosaurs published in 2024.
Pseudosuchians
New pseudosuchian taxa NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityCountryNotesImagesAhdeskatankaGen. et sp. novCossette & TarailoWasatchianGolden Valley Formation()A member of the family Alligatoridae belonging to the subfamily Alligatorinae. The type species is A. russlanddeutsche.Aphaurosuchus kaijuSp. novValidMartins et al.Late CretaceousAdamantina FormationA baurusuchid. Announced in 2023; the final article version was published in 2024.Araripesuchus manzanensisSp. novValidFernández Dumont et al.Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Candeleros FormationAsiatosuchus oenotriensisSp. novNarváez et al.Eocene (Lutetian)A basal member of Crocodyloidea.BenggwigwishingasuchusGen. et sp. novValidSmith et al.Middle Triassic (Anisian)Favret Formation()A member of Paracrocodylomorpha, probably belonging to the group Poposauroidea. The type species is B. eremicarminis.Caipirasuchus catanduvensisSp. novIori et al.Late CretaceousAdamantina FormationEnalioetesGen. et sp. novValidSachs et al.Early Cretaceous (Valanginian)Stadthagen FormationA metriorhynchid. The type species is E. schroederi.EpoidesuchusGen. et sp. novRuiz et al.Late Cretaceous (Campanian–Maastrichtian)Adamantina FormationA itasuchid notosuchian. The type species is E. tavaresae.GarzapeltaGen. et sp. novValidReyes, Martz & SmallLate Triassic (Norian)Cooper Canyon Formation()An aetosaur. The type species is G. muelleri.OphiussasuchusGen. et sp. novValidLópez-Rojas et al.Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian–Tithonian)Lourinhã FormationA goniopholidid crocodylomorph. The type species is O. paimogonectes.ParanacaimanGen. et sp. novBona et al.MioceneItuzaingó FormationA caiman. The type species is P. bravardi. Fossils of this genus were previously referred to Caiman lutescens.ParanasuchusGen. et comb. novBona et al.MioceneItuzaingó FormationA caiman. The type species is "Caiman" gasparinae.ParvosuchusGen. et sp. novMüllerTriassic (Ladinian–Carnian)Pinheiros-Chiniquá Sequence of the Santa Maria SupersequenceA gracilisuchid pseudosuchian. The type species is P. aurelioi.SchultzsuchusGen. et comb. novDesojo & RauhutTriassic (Ladinian–Carnian)Pinheiros-Chiniquá Sequence of the Santa Maria SupersequenceA member of Paracrocodylomorpha, probably belonging to the group Poposauroidea. The type species is "Prestosuchus" loricatus von Huene (1938).SutekhsuchusGen. et comb. novValidBurke et al.MioceneMoghra FormationA member of the family Gavialidae belonging to the subfamily Gavialinae. The type species is "Tomistoma" dowsoni Fourtau (1920).VaranosuchusGen et sp. novValidPochat-Cottilloux et al.Early CretaceousSao Khua FormationAn atoposaurid. The type species is V. sakonnakhonensis.
General pseudosuchian research Evidence of the impact of function on the evolution of the lower jaw morphology in crocodile-line archosaurs is presented by Rawson et al. (2024). A review of studies on the thermometabolism of crocodile-line archosaurs from the preceding 20 years is published by Faure-Brac (2024). Sennikov (2024) interprets ornithosuchids as macrophagous predators with specialized jaw apparatus, and notes analogs between them and saber-toothed therapsids (including mammals). A study on the locomotion of Riojasuchus tenuisceps is published by von Baczko et al. (2024), who reconstruct R. tenuisceps as having an erect posture and parasagittal gait, but do not conclusively resolve whether it was bipedal or quadrupedal. A study on the anatomy of the skull and on the neurology of Tarjadia ruthae is published by Desojo et al. (2024). A study on the humeral bone histology of Benggwigwishingasuchus eremacarminis is published by Klein (2024), who finds no evidence of secondary aquatic adaptations, but reports evidence indicative a slower growth rate than in Effigia and Sillosuchus. Redescription of the skeletal anatomy of Shuvosaurus inexpectatus is published by Nesbitt & Chatterjee (2024). Mastrantonio et al. (2024) describe the anatomy of the postcranial skeleton of the most complete specimen of Prestosuchus chiniquensis reported to date, and revise the diagnosis for P. chiniquensis. A study on growth patterns of Prestosuchus chiniquensis, as indicated by microstructure of bone tissues of three specimens, is published by Farias et al. (2024). Ponce, Cerda & Desojo (2024) describe partial fibula of Aetosauroides scagliai from the Ischigualasto Formation and partial tibia of Tarjadia ruthae from the Chañares Formation diagnosed as affected by periostitis, representing the first records of periostitis in non-crocodylomorph pseudosuchians reported to date.
Aetosaur research Parker et al. (2024) study the anatomy and bone histology of a specimen of Coahomasuchus kahleorum from the Triassic Dockum Group (Texas, United States), providing evidence that the studied specimen is not a juvenile form of another known aetosaur, and providing new information on the anatomy of C. kahleorum.
Crocodylomorph research Review of adaptations of crocodylomorphs to lifestyles other than semiaquatic (i.e. terrestrial or fully aquatic) throughout their evolutionary history is published by Pochat-Cottilloux (2024). Pochat-Cottilloux et al. (2024) report evidence indicating that shape variation of endosseous labyrinths of extant crocodylians is affected by allometry to a greater degree than by phylogenetic relationships of the studied crocodylians, and interpret these results as indicative of problems with inclusion of fossil forms in the studies of the impact of ecology on the evolution of crocodylomorph endosseous labyrinths. Description of the anatomy and bone histology of the postcranial skeleton of Terrestrisuchus gracilis is published by Spiekman, Butler & Maidment. A study on the bone histology and growth patterns of Orthosuchus stormbergi is published by Weiss et al. (2024). Woodward et al. (2024) note correlation between alligator femur volume and body mass, and use femur volume to determine body mass of goniopholidids, dyrosaurs, notosuchians and thalattosuchians. A study on the morphological diversity of the pelvic girdle of thalattosuchians and dyrosaurids throughout their evolutionary history is published by Scavezzoni et al. (2024). A study on the anatomy and evolution of the pectoral girdles of thalattosuchians and dyrosaurids, an on the implications of the postcranial anatomy of crocodylomorphs for the studies of their phylogenetic relationships, is published by Scavezzoni et al. (2024). Young et al. (2024) provide higher level systematization for Thalattosuchia under both the PhyloCode and the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, naming new taxa Neothalattosuchia, Euthalattosuchia and Dakosaurina. A study on the morphology of osteoderms of Indosinosuchus and an unnamed member of Mesoeucrocodylia from the Late Jurassic Phu Noi excavation site (Thailand) is published by Bhuttarach et al. (2024). A study on the bone microstructure of Macrospondylus bollensis is published by Johnson et al. (2024), who report evidence of growth at a regular rate until the animal reached adult size, of bone compactness values within the range of those of modern crocodilians, and of an amphibious lifestyle of M. bollensis, while retaining the ability to move on land. Weryński et al. (2024) identify a teleosauroid rostrum from the Częstochowa Sponge Limestone Formation (Poland) as belonging to a non-machimosaurin machimosaurid feeding on large prey, with morphological similarities to Neosteneosaurus edwardsi and Proexochokefalos heberti, providing evidence that such teleosauroids were present outside of Western Europe during the Oxfordian. Scheyer et al. (2024) describe teleosauroid tooth crowns associated with ichthyosaur remains (with scavenging traces also produced by a teleosauroid) from the Bajocian Hauptrogenstein Formation (Switzerland), representing the oldest fossil material of a member of the tribe Machimosaurini reported to date. Cubo et al. (2024) interpret Pelagosaurus typus as an amphibious thalattosuchian likely able to wander over land, with high resting metabolic rate compared to extant ectotherms but unlikely to be an endotherm, and interpret its hunting behavior as likely involving slow sustained swimming and rapid sideways movements of the head to capture prey. A study on the endocranial anatomy of Thalattosuchus superciliosus, providing evidence of anatomical differences between geosaurine and non-geosaurine metriorhynchids, is published by Higgins et al. (2024), who argue that geosaurines and metriorhynchines likely underwent parallel shifts to a pursuit predator ecomorphology throughout their evolutionary histories. The first fossil material of a member or a relative of the genus Plesiosuchus from France reported to date is described from the Kimmeridgian strata of the Argiles d'Ecqueville formation in Normandy by Hua (2024). Hua, Liston & Tabouelle (2024) describe a specimen of Metriorhynchus cf. superciliosus from the Callovian strata from the "Vaches Noires" cliffs of Villers-sur-Mer (France), preserved with gastric contents that include remains of the gill apparatus of Leedsichthys, and interpret the studied specimen as providing evidence of Metriorhynchus scavenging on the remains of Leedsichthys. Young et al. (2024) study the evolution of the paratympanic and paranasal sinuses in Crocodylomorpha (with a focus on thalattosuchians), and argue that the expansive snout sinus system of metriorhynchids likely prevented them from deep diving. Leardi et al. (2024) review the phylogenetic nomenclature of Notosuchia, define notosuchian clades according to the PhyloCode standards and name a new clade Peirosauria. A study on the bone histology of Araripesuchus buitreraensis, providing evidence of generally slow, annually interrupted growth rate, is published by Navarro et al. (2024). Fernández-Dumont (2024) describes juvenile specimens of Araripesuchus from the La Buitrera Paleontological Area (Argentina) and provides a list of characters indicating ontogenetic status of specimens of Araripesuchus. Evidence of a continuous and coordinated tooth replacement in Armadillosuchus arrudai, ensuring that the animal would not lose too many teeth simultaneously and that its feeding abilities were not affected by tooth loss, is presented by Borsoni, Carvalho & Marinho (2024). Dos Santos et al. (2024) describe the skeletal anatomy of the most complete juvenile baurusuchid specimen reported to date, and report evidence of differences in skull ornamentation and muscle development between juvenile and adult baurusuchid specimens which might be indicative of ontogenetic niche partitioning. A study on tooth replacement patterns in members of the genus Caipirasuchus is published by Borsoni & Carvalho (2024). Redescription of the skull anatomy and a study on the phylogenetic affinities of Barreirosuchus franciscoi is published by Fachini et al. (2024). Fossil material of a goniopholidid, interpreted as a basal form that shared several anatomical traits with derived members of the group, is described from the Lower Cretaceous Kitadani Formation (Japan) by Obuse & Shibata (2024). Forêt et al. (2024) study factors driving tethysuchian evolution, reporting evidence of a turnover after the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event when a dyrosaurid-dominated fauna replaced a pholidosaurid-dominated one, of increased tethysuchian biodiversity after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, and of a positive correlation between body length and temperature. Fossil material of an early-diverging, long-snouted dyrosaurid is described from the Campanian Quseir Formation (Egypt) by Saber et al. (2024).