Lazarussuchus inexpectatus (Hecht 1992 ) late Oligocene, early Miocene ~30 mya, 4.53 cm skull length, was considered a basal choristodere. Here Lazarussuchus nests as the most derived choristodere. Derived from a sister to Cteniogenys, Lazarrussuchus was the last of this lineage.
Distinct from Cteniogenys, the skull of Lazarussuchus had a smaller orbit and shorter cranium. The posterior skull was wider. The nares were set further back on the rostrum and the premaxilla extended beyond them. The lateral temporal fenestra was closed, filled in by the squamosal.
Distinct from Champsosaurus, the ribs were more gracile.
The limbs were longer. The hands and feet were larger due to much longer digits. The unguals (claws) were much larger and sharper, suggesting an arboreal (tree-climbing) lifestyle.
The slender elements of the pelvis radiated in three directions with a large gap between the pubis and ischium. Pedal digit 4 was the longest. |
