G. crassidens holotype BMNH 3798G. simus restoration
Thetype species of the genus isG. crassidens which is known from the Berriasian of England, and the referable speciesG. simus from the Berriasian of NW Germany, might beconspecific. Other species that are referable toGoniopholis includeG. kiplingi from theBerriasian of England, andG. baryglyphaeus from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) of Portugal making it the oldest knownGoniopholis species.[1][2] The speciesG. kiplingi honors the authorRudyard Kipling, "in recognition for his enthusiasm for natural sciences".[1]G. kiplingi had skull reaching 475.6 mm (18.72 in), it is one of the largest goniopholidid along withAmphicotylus milesi which had skull reaching 43 cm (17 in).[1][3] Based on skull length, total body length ofG. kiplingi is estimated at 3.47 m (11.4 ft).[1]
Eggs attributed toGoniopholis were found in the Late Jurassic of Portugal.[4]
A partial skeleton of an indeterminate species ofGoniopholis has been recovered from the Berriasian agedAngeac-Charente bonebed of France.[5]
Goniopholis have been inferred to have beenectothermic on the basis of bonehistology and stable isotope analysis.[6]
The taxonMacellodus brodei was named in 1854 by Sir Richard Owen for a partial maxilla and referred jaws, with Owen interpreting the material as that of a lizard. The maxilla was considered missing my Hoffstetter in 1967, who designated a neotype, though this neotype was then removed fromMacellodus and referred to the lacertilianBecklesisaurus. Review by Richard Estes in 1983 rediscovered the type ofMacellodus among crocodilian remains in theNatural History Museum, London, recognizing that it belonged to the premaxilla of a crocodilian. Estes considered thatMacellodus should be a synyonym ofGoniopholis, andG. brodei would have priority overG. simus, but instead of advocating for synonymy Estes found thatG. brodei is undiagnostic.[7]
G. phuwiangensis is known from NEThailand, but this species is fragmentary and was recently reassigned toSunosuchus.Nannosuchus from the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian stage) of England andSpain currently considered to be valid, was referred to asG. gracilidens by some authors.[1]
Willett's / Hulke's, Hooley's and Dollo's goniopholidids represent several complete specimens previously classified as eitherG. simus orG. crassidens,[1] and one of them was recently re-described as the new species,G. willetti. More recently these specimens were removed fromGoniopholis, and two of them, Hooley's and Hulke's goniopholidids, have been already reassigned to their own generaAnteophthalmosuchus andHulkepholis, respectively.[2][12] Dollo's goniopholidid has also been assigned toAnteophthalmosuchus.[13]
Like other goniophoilids,Goniopholis bears a superficial resemblance to modern crocodilians. However, unlike modern crocodilians and like other goniopholidids, the dermal armour covering the back was composed of two rows of large rectangularscutes running parallel down each side of the midline, with a "peg and groove" mechanism articulating the sets of plates together, with the outer edge of the plates deflected downwards.[1][14]
^Russo, J., Mateus O., Marzola M., & Balbino A. (2017). Two new ootaxa from the late Jurassic: The oldest record of crocodylomorph eggs, from the Lourinhã Formation, Portugal. PLOS ONE. 12, 1-23.
^Allen, E. (2010). "Phylogenetic analysis of goniopholidid crocodyliforms of the Morrison Formation".Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.30 (Supp. 1): 52A.doi:10.1080/02724634.2010.10411819.S2CID220429286.
^Pol, D.; Leardi, J.M.; Lecuona, A.; Krause, M. (2012). "Postcranial anatomy ofSebecus icaeorhinus (Crocodyliformes, Sebecidae) from the Eocene of Patagonia".Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.32 (2): 328.doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.646833.S2CID86565764.
^Steven W. Salisbury; Darren Naish (2011). "Crocodilians". In Batten, D. J. (ed.).English Wealden Fossils. The Palaeontological Association (London). pp. 305–369.
^Martin, J.E.; Delfino, M.; Smith, T. (2016). "Osteology and affinities of Dollo's goniopholidid (Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Early Cretaceous of Bernissart, Belgium".Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.36 (6): e1222534.doi:10.1080/02724634.2016.1222534.hdl:2318/1635521.S2CID89199731.
Buffetaut, E; Ingavat, R (1983). "Goniopholis phuwiangensis nov. sp., a new mesosuchian crocodile from the Mesozoic of North-eastern Thailand".Geobios.16 (1):79–91.doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(83)80048-5.
Holland, W. J. (1905). "A new crocodile from the Jurassic of Wyoming".Annals of the Carnegie Museum.3 (3):431–434.ISSN0097-4463.
Mook, C. C. (1964). "New species ofGoniopholis from the Morrison of Oklahoma".Oklahoma Geology Notes.24:283–287.ISSN0030-1736.
Owen, R. 1878. Monograph on The Fossil Reptilia of the Wealden and Purbeck Formations, Supplement no. VII. Crocodilia (Goniopholis,Pterosuchus, andSuchosaurus).Palaeontological Society Monograph, p. 1-15.
Salisbury, S. W.; Willis, P. M. A.; Peitz, S. & Sander, P. M. (December 1999). "The crocodilianGoniopholis simus from the Lower Cretaceous of north-western Germany".Special Papers in Palaeontology.60:121–148.ISBN978-0-901702-67-8.
Schwarz, Daniela (2002). "A new species ofGoniopholis from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal".Palaeontology.45 (1):185–208.doi:10.1111/1475-4983.00233.
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