| Osteolaemus osborni | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Archosauria |
| Order: | Crocodilia |
| Superfamily: | Crocodyloidea |
| Family: | Crocodylidae |
| Genus: | Osteolaemus |
| Species: | O. osborni |
| Binomial name | |
| Osteolaemus osborni Schmidt, 1919 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Osteolaemus osborni, commonly known asOsborn's dwarf crocodile, is aspecies ofcrocodileendemic to theCongo Basin in Africa.
This species has had a somewhat convolutedtaxonomical history. It was first described asOsteoblepharon osborni bySchmidt in 1919, based on a fewspecimens from the UpperCongo River Basin in what is now theDemocratic Republic of Congo. However,Inger in a 1948 paper found the specimens wanting of characteristics that would justify a generic separation fromOsteolaemus and referred the specimens toOsteolaemus osborni. In 1961, it was reduced to subspecies rank,[2] but was revalidated to full species status in 2021.[3]
The Congo dwarf crocodile (O. osborni) is both the smallest crocodile and the smallestcrocodilian since it does not surpass 1.2 m (3.9 ft).[4]
Thegenus nameOsteolaemus means "bony throat", and is derived fromAncient Greek όστεον (ósteon), meaning "bone", and λαιμός (laimós), meaning "throat". The genus was named as such due to the osteoderms found among the scales in the neck and belly.
Thespecific epithetosborni is in honor ofAmericanpaleontologistHenry Fairfield Osborn.[5]
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