Chenanisuchus

Chenanisuchus ("Chenane crocodile") is a genus of dyrosaurid crocodyliform from the Late Cretaceous of Mali and the Late Palaeocene of Sidi Chenane in Morocco.  It was described in 2005, after expeditions uncovered it in 2000. 

The type species is C. lateroculi ("lateralis", lateral; "oculi", eyes), in reference to the laterally facing eyes. 

Currently, Chenanisuchus is the most basal known dyrosaurid. 

Material 
Two specimens of C. lateroculi – OCP DEK-GE 262 (holotype, nearly complete skull with mandibular fragments) and OCP DEK-GE 61 (nearly complete skull) – come from the Sidi Chenane area in Morocco, which is Late Palaeocene (Thanetian) in age.  Fossils of Chenanisuchus were also found in Maastrichtian age strata in Mali, showing that Chenanisuchus survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. 

Systematics 
Chenanisuchus lateroculi is referred to Dyrosauridae by Jouve et al. ( 2005), based on three morphological characters:
 Presence of occipital tuberosities
 Presence of an anterolateral postorbital process
 Large participation of the quadratojugal and surangular to the jaw joint

Palaeobiology 
Chenanisuchus lateroculi has an estimated adult length between 4 and 4.5 meters, based on the 60 centimeter long skull.  It has the shortest snout relative to the dorsal skull length among all dyrosaurids. 

References

Bibliography 
 Jouve, S., Bouya, B. & Amaghzaz, M., (2005).  A short-snouted dyrosaurid (Crocodyliformes, Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Palaeocene of Marocco.  Palaeontology 48 (2): 359-369.  

Category:Dyrosaurids
Category:Prehistoric reptile genera
Category:Prehistoric marine crocodylomorphs
Category:Late Cretaceous crocodylomorphs of Africa
Category:Late Cretaceous reptiles of Africa
Category:Paleogene reptiles of Africa
Category:Paleocene crocodylomorphs
Category:Fossil taxa described in 2005