Nicrosaurus
| Nicrosaurus Temporal range: Late Triassic,
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|---|---|
| Skull of N. kapffi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | †Phytosauria |
| Family: | †Parasuchidae |
| Subfamily: | †Mystriosuchinae |
| Tribe: | †Mystriosuchini |
| Genus: | †Nicrosaurus Fraas, 1866 |
| Species | |
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Nicrosaurus (/nɪkroʊˈsɔrəs/) is an extinct genus of phytosaur reptile that lived during the Late Triassic period. Although it looked like a crocodile (and probably lived like the more terrestrial crocodylomorphs), it was not closely related to them, instead being an example of parallel evolution.
The main difference between Nicrosaurus (and all other phytosaurs) and modern crocodiles is the position of the nostrils. Nicrosaurus's nostrils, or external nares, were placed directly in front of the forehead (much like modern-day cetaceans, such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises), whereas in crocodiles, the nostrils are positioned on the end of the snout. A 2013 study has also found that the ilium of Nicrosaurus is quite distinctive from all other phytosaurs. The genus was named by German paleontologist, Oscar Fraas, in 1866, possibly after the Neckar river of southwestern Germany, near which it was found.