Ophiussasuchus fossil map
Where fossils of Ophiussasuchus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 145 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 145 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Crocodile relatives |
|---|---|
| Lived | 152.21–145.06 million years ago (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) |
| Periods | Jurassic |
| Family | Goniopholididae |
| Named by | López-Rojas et al. 2024 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Portugal |
| Rock formations | Lourinhã |
About Ophiussasuchus
Ophiussasuchus ("Crocodile of Ophiussa") is an extinct genus of goniopholidid neosuchian from the Upper Jurassic Lourinhã Formation of Portugal. It was a medium-sized goniopholidid, about 2.5 m to 3 m long, with a flattened skull and mesorostrine snout. Although most closely related to the Cretaceous goniopholids of Europe, such as Hulkepholis and Anteophthalmosuchus, Ophiussasuchus shares a variety of characteristics with more basal taxa from the Jurassic of Asia and North America. This could suggest that it either represents a transitional form or that this genus independently re-evolved these ancestral features. Ophiussasuchus is a monotypic genus, only including a single species: O. paimogonectes.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Ophiussasuchus (revision 1351324972), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q124334968.
