Tomistoma cairense
Extinct species of reptile / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tomistoma cairense is an extinct species of gavialoid crocodilian from the Lutetian stage of the Eocene era.[3] It lived in North East Africa, especially Egypt.[3] Remains of T. cairense have been found in the Mokattam Formation, in Mokattam, Egypt.[4] Tomistoma cairense did not have a Maxilla process within their lacrimal gland, whereas all extant (living) crocodilians do.[5]
Tomistoma cairense | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Archosauromorpha |
Clade: | Archosauriformes |
Order: | Crocodilia |
Family: | Gavialidae |
Genus: | Tomistoma |
Species: | T. cairense |
Binomial name | |
Tomistoma cairense Müller, 1927[2] | |
Below is a cladogram based morphological studies comparing skeletal features that shows Tomistoma cairense as a member of Tomistominae, related to the false gharial:[6]
Crocodylidae |
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Based on morphological studies of extinct taxa, the tomistomines (including the living false gharial) were long thought to be classified as crocodiles and not closely related to gavialoids.[7] However, recent molecular studies using DNA sequencing have consistently indicated that the false gharial (Tomistoma) (and by inference other related extinct forms in Tomistominae) actually belong to Gavialoidea (and Gavialidae).[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
Below is a cladogram from a 2018 tip dating study by Lee & Yates simultaneously using morphological, molecular (DNA sequencing), and stratigraphic (fossil age) data that shows Tomistoma cairense as a gavialoid, more basal than the last common ancestor to both the gharial and the false gharial:[13]
Gavialoidea |
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(stem-based group) |
Tomistoma cairense may need to be reclassified to a new genera, as studies have shown that its inclusion makes Tomistoma out to be paraphyletic.[6][13]