Goniopholidid crocodylomorph from the Middle Jurassic Berezovsk Quarry locality (Western Siberia, Russia)

Abstract

Excavations and sediment screenwashing at the Middle Jurassic Berezovsk Quarry locality in Krasnoyarsk Territory, Russia, yielded rare isolated teeth, osteoderms and fragments of cranial bones of crocodyliforms. All these remains were referred to Goniopholididae indet. on the basis of the following combination of features: a relatively narrow and long snout, contribution of splenials to the mandibular symphysis, dermal sculpturing consists of almost circular and slightly elongated oval pits, polygonal ventral osteoderms, and conical teeth with strongly striated crowns with weakly developed unserrated lateral carinae. The Berezovsk goniopholidid represents one of the oldest goniopholidid records in Asia and, geographically, the northernmost occurrence of this group in the Jurassic of Asia.