We describe a partial crocodilian skull from the Mesozoic non-marine

The core of the fossil record of Teleosauridae, a family of thalattosuchian crocodylomorphs, is well known from western Tethyan marine deposits of the Jurassic. Outside this province, their fossil record is patchy and in need of revision with specimens from Russia, Madagascar and Asia. Peipehsuchus teleorhinus is known from the Early or Middle Jurassic of China and teleosaurid specimens were mentioned or preliminarily described from two Jurassic localities in Thailand, yet they were not assigned to a given taxon. Thanks to recent fieldwork, at least 10 individuals represented by cranial material were excavated and prepared from a single Jurassic locality known as Phu Noi in the lower Phu Kradung Formation of northeastern Thailand. Here, we describe these specimens together with disarticulated postcranial elements and erect a new taxon, Indosinosuchus potamosiamensis gen. et sp. nov.. Phylogenetic analyses confirm the teleosaurid affinities of the new species, which does not form an exclusive clade with the Chinese teleosaurid Peipehsuchus teleorhinus. The presence of teleosaurids at Phu Noi and a preliminary account of its faunal content favor a Middle to Late Jurassic age for the fossil-bearing horizon. In contrast, Cretaceous deposits in Thailand are characterized by goniopholidids and pholidosaurids indicating a faunal turnover in SE Asia across the Jurassic-Cretaceous. As previously shown by isotope data, the new teleosaurid species was a resident of the freshwater environment and co-occurs with remains of exclusively terrestrial taxa such as sauropod, ornithopod and theropod dinosaurs and other freshwater reptiles such as turtles and temnospondyls.

Despite the report of fragmentary remains from China, the fossil record of primitive Alligatorinae is unbalanced with most of its members reported from North America and Europe. Here, we describe cranial, mandibular, and some postcranial elements of a new alligatorine taxon from the Late Eocene of Krabi Basin, southern Thailand. Krabisuchus siamogallicus gen. et sp. nov. was a small animal probably not surpassing 2 m in total length. Despite deformation, the remains show a dorsally elevated cranium similar to Arambourgia gaudryi and Osteolaemus tetraspis. The new alligatorine is characterized by a very short snout and a blunt dentition in the posterior region. Krabisuchus siamogallicus is the first fossil alligatorine from Asia to be incorporated into cladistic analysis. Results indicate a close relationship of the newtaxon to Procaimanoidea, Arambourgia gaudryi, and Allognathosuchus polyodon, all of them being sister groups to the Alligator clade. Alligatorine were widespread as early as the Late Eocene across the northern hemisphere. Scenarios of alligatorine dispersal during the Palaeogene are discussed in comparison with the European and North American alligatorine fossil record. Basal alligatorines were probably land-dwelling animals contrary to modern-day crocodylians. Such a mode of life may have allowed this group to colonize vast territories, especially during periods of global warm climates.

A new taxon of a broad-snouted goniopholidid, Siamosuchus phuphokensis, gen. et sp. nov., was discovered in the Sao Khua Formation (ante-Aptian), northeastern Thailand. The specimen is described on the basis of an incomplete skeleton showing the premaxillae, maxillae, nasals, left lacrimal, frontal, left jugal, right postorbital, caudal part of the cranial table, most of the right part of the postcranial skeleton, and several heavily sculptured osteoderms. S. phuphokensis is distinguished from the other broad-snouted goniopholidids on the basis of the following characters: penetration of the nasals in the narial border; presence of a robust and high median ridge on the interorbital surface; lateral margin of the frontal forming the medial edge of the orbit; supraoccipital exhibiting a wide pentagonal shape. A phylogenetic analysis using 101 characters for 29 mesoeucrocodylian taxa and 3 outgroup taxa supports the monophyly of the family Goniopholididae. In addition, the Thai specimen forms a clade with the European Goniopholis. Based on our strict consensus tree, the generic name Goniopholis should be restricted to the European forms only.

BackgroundThe genus Gavialis comprises a single living but endangered species, G. gangeticus, as well as fossil species recorded in the Miocene to Pleistocene deposits of the Indian subcontinent. The genus is also represented in the Pleistocene deposits of Java by the species G. bengawanicus, which was recently recognized to be valid. Surprisingly, no detailed report of the genus exists between these two provinces and the recent evolutionary history of Gavialis is not understood.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe report new material consisting of skull and mandibular remains of Gavialis from the Early Pleistocene of Khok Sung, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand. The Gavialis material described herein is attributed to Gavialis cf. bengawanicus and sheds new light on the occurrence of the genus in mainland SE Asia.Conclusions/SignificanceComparison of this new material with other species referred to the genus Gavialis led us to preliminary restrict the content of the genus to three species, namely G. gangeticus Gmelin, G. bengawanicus Dubois and G. lewisi Lull. The occurrence of G. cf. bengawanicus in Thailand allows us to propose a scenario for the dispersal of Gavialis from Indo-Pakistan to Indonesia, thus bridging a geographical gap between these two provinces. Dispersal by sea appears a less likely possibility than dispersal through fluvial drainages.