Laevisuchus

smooth crocodile

• laevis · Latin · smooth, light
• suchus · Greek (via Latinized souchos) · crocodile

The name combines the Latin "laevis" (smooth) with the Greek "souchos" (crocodile). The "-suchus" ending was commonly used by early 20th-century authors for fossil reptiles whose affinities were not yet clear. The type species, L. indicus, was based on a few hollow, lightly built vertebrae and limb bones, and it was later recognised as a small theropod rather than a crocodile relative.

Named by

von Huene and Matley

Year named

1933

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Maastrichtian

Found in

Lameta Formation, Jabalpur area, Madhya Pradesh, India

A small abelisauroid (ceratosaurian) theropod, usually classified as a noasaurid. It is known from fragmentary remains. The etymology is given from the standard Latin and Greek roots. The exact reasoning of the original authors for choosing the name is not stated here.