Figure 1.
Fossil crocodyliformes showing predator-prey interaction.
A, Aplestosuchus sordidus skeleton (LPRP/USP 0229a). Scale bar, 10 cm. B, Area highlighted in “a” with details of the abdominal content, including sphagesaurid remains (LPRP/USP 0229b). Scale bar, 5 cm. C, Reconstructed predator and prey. Reconstruction by Rodolfo Nogueira. Scale bar, 50 cm.
Figure 2.
Map showing the location where Aplestosuchus sordidus was collected within South America and São Paulo State (Brazil).
Watercourses in blue, paved roads in grey, nonpaved roads in orange, cities and towns in black. The red arrow indicates the outcrop area. Scale bar equals 3
Figure 3.
Skull of Aplestosuchus sordidus LPRP/USP 0229a in A, dorsal view; and B, ventral.
Abbreviations: a, angular; ap, anterior palpebral; ana, atlantal neural arch; atl, atlas; bo, basioccipital; bs, basisphenoid; cg, choanal groove; d, dentary; d4, dentary tooth 4; ec, ectopterygoid; eo, exoccipital; f, frontal; hy, hyoid aparatus; if, infratemporal fenestra; j, jugal; m, maxilla; m3, maxillary tooth 3; n, nasal; pa, parietal; pf, prefrontal; pl, palatine; pm, premaxilla; po, postorbital; pp, posterior palpebral; pt, pterygoid; q, quadrate; se, choanal septum; sf, supratemporal fenestra; so, supraoccipital; sq, squamosal; sp, splenial; tof, temporo-orbital foramen; III–V cv, cervical vertebrae III–V. Scale bar equals 10 cm.
Figure 4.
Drawing of the skull of Aplestosuchus sordidus LPRP/USP 0229a in A, dorsal view; and B, ventral.
Abbreviations: a, angular; ap, anterior palpebral; ar, articular; bo, basioccipital; bs, basisphenoid; cg, choanal groove; d, dentary; d4, dentary tooth 4; ec, ectopterygoid; eo, exoccipital; f, frontal; hy, hyoid aparatus; if, infratemporal fenestra; j, jugal; m, maxilla; m3, maxillary tooth 3; n, nasal; pa, parietal; pf, prefrontal; pl, palatine; pm, premaxilla; po, postorbital; pp, posterior palpebral; pt, pterygoid; q, quadrate; qj, quadratojugal; sa, surangular; sf, supratemporal fenestra; so, supraoccipital; sq, squamosal; sp, splenial; tof, temporo-orbital foramen. Scale bar equals 10 cm.
Figure 5.
Skull of Aplestosuchus sordidus LPRP/USP 0229a in lateral (right) view. A, photograph. B, interpretative drawing.
Abbreviations: a, angular; ap, anterior palpebral; ar, articular; d, dentary; d4, dentary tooth 4; f, frontal; j, jugal; m, maxilla; ma, mandibular fenestra; m3, maxillary tooth 3; pa, parietal; pm, premaxilla; po, postorbital; pp, posterior palpebral; q, quadrate; sa, surangular. Scale bar equals 10 cm.
Figure 6.
The largest teeth of Aplestosuchus sordidus.
A, Third maxillary (right) tooth; B, Fourth dentary (right) tooth. Scale bar equals 2 cm.
Figure 7.
Abdominal contents (LPRP/USP 0229b).
A, Photograph depicting ribs (green) and gastralia (orange) of Aplestosuchus sordidus, and sphagesaurid remains (yellow). Scale bar, 5 cm. B, Detail of the area highlighted in “A”, with sphagesaurid remains identified in white. Abbreviations: f, frontal; j, jugal; p, parietal; pl, palpebral; t, tooth.
Figure 8.
Details of the preserved remains of LPRP/USP 0229b.
A, B, Teeth of in lateral view. The red arrow in “A” indicates one of the basiapical keels, typical for Sphagesauridae. C, Detail of the teeth of another Sphagesauridae, Caryonosuchus pricei, modified from [35]. D, Cranial bones preserved. Abbreviations: f, frontal; j, jugal; p, parietal; pl, palpebral. Scale bars, 10 mm.
Figure 9.
Single Most Parsimonious Tree depicting Baurusuchidae phylogenetic relationships and the position of Aplestosuchus sordidus.
Bootstrap GC (50% cut) and decay values are shown below the clades, which are numbered as references for the synapomorphy list (Text S5).
Figure 10.
Inferred food web reconstruction of the Late Cretaceous fauna of Southeastern Brazil (Adamantina Formation).
Crocodyliformes in black, and non-crocodyliforms in grey. Full red line depicts the reported baurusuchid-sphagesaurid interaction. Inferred interactions represented by dotted black lines. 1, Large theropods (Abelisauridae, Charcarodontosauridae, Megaraptora); 2, Peirosaurids (Montealtosuchus arrudacamposi, Pepesuchus deiseae); 3, Turtles (Bauruemys elegans, Roxochelys wanderleyi); 4-6, Fishes (Teleostei, Lepisosteidae, Dipnoi); 7, Trematochampsids (Barreirosuchus franciscoi); 8, “Notosuchians” (Labidiosuchus amicum, Mariliasuchus amarali, M. robustus, Morrinhosuchus luziae); 9, Baurusuchids (Baurusuchus albertoi, B. pachecoi, B. salgadoensis, Campinasuchus dinizi, Gondwanasuchus scabrosus, Pissarrachampsa sera, Stratiotosuchus maxhetchi); 10, Mammals; 11, Anurans; 12, Adamantinasuchus navae; 13, Sauropods (Adamantisaurus mezzalirai, Aeolosaurus maximus, Gondwatitan faustoi, Maxakalisaurus topai, Nemegtosauridae); 14, Other sphagesaurids (Caipirasuchus paulistanus, Caryonosuchus pricei, Sphagesaurus huenei, S. montealtensis); 15, Unenlagiines; 16, Birds (Enantiornithes); 17, Lizards (Brasiliguana prudentis); 18, Snakes (Anilioidea); 19, Insects (Coleoptera); 20, Armadillosuchus arrudai. (see Text S6 for complete references of Figure 10).