Tanystrosuchus

elongated/long crocodile

• tanys · Greek · long, elongated
• strophos · Greek · twisted or turned — but here likely via Tanystropheus as a root reference
• suchos · Greek (via Egyptian) · crocodile (from the Egyptian crocodile god Sobek)

The name Tanystrosuchus is modelled closely on Tanystropheus, the famous long-necked archosaur, with the suffix "-suchus" (from the Greek/Egyptian "suchos," meaning crocodile) replacing "-pheus." The first element "tanys-" comes from the Greek "tanyein," meaning to stretch or elongate, referring to elongated features of the animal. The "-suchus" suffix was commonly applied to Triassic archosaurs that were thought to have crocodile-like characteristics. Together the name roughly means "elongated crocodile," reflecting its archosaurian affinity and morphological similarity to related taxa.

Named by

Huene

Year named

1960

Period

Late Triassic

Stage

Norian

Found in

Stubensandstein (Löwenstein Formation), Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Tanystrosuchus is NOT a dinosaur; it is a non-dinosaurian archosaur (a paracrocodylomorph or basal archosaur) from the Late Triassic of Germany. It is widely regarded as a nomen dubium because the holotype material (fragmentary jaw elements) is too incomplete to be reliably diagnosed. Some researchers have attempted to refer it to Teratosaurus or other archosaurs, but no firm consensus has been reached. It should not be confused with the long-necked reptile Tanystropheus.