Albertochampsa
{{Short description|Extinct genus of reptiles}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{fossilrange|76.5|75}}
| image = Albertochampsa.jpg
| image_alt = Albertochampsa skull
| image_caption = Skull at the Yale Peabody Museum
| taxon = Albertochampsa
| type_species = {{extinct}}Albertochampsa langstoni
| type_species_authority = Erickson, 1972
}}
Albertochampsa is an extinct genus of alligatorid (possibly a stem-caiman{{Cite journal|author1=Paula Bona |author2=Martín D. Ezcurra |author3=Francisco Barrios |author4=María V. Fernandez Blanco |year=2018 |title=A new Palaeocene crocodylian from southern Argentina sheds light on the early history of caimanines |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=285 |issue=1885 |pages=20180843 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2018.0843 |pmid=30135152 |pmc=6125902 }} or a basal alligatorine{{cite journal| vauthors = Walter J, Darlim G, Massonne T, Aase A, Frey E, Rabi M |year=2022 |title=On the origin of Caimaninae: insights from new fossils of Tsoabichi greenriverensis and a review of the evidence |journal=Historical Biology |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=580–595 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2021.1938563 |s2cid=238723638 }}) from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta. It was named in 1972 by Bruce Erickson, and the type species is A. langstoni.{{cite journal |last=Erickson |first=Bruce R. |authorlink=Bruce Erickson (paleontologist) |year=1972 |title= Albertochampsa langstoni, gen. et sp. nov. A new Alligator from the Cretaceous of Alberta |journal=Scientific Publications of the Science Museum of Minnesota |series=new series |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=1–13}} It is known from a skull from the Campanian-age Dinosaur Park Formation, where it was rare; Leidyosuchus is the most commonly found crocodilian at the Park. The skull of Albertochampsa was only about 21 cm long (8.3 in).{{cite book |last=Wu |first=Xiao-Chun |editor=Currie, Phillip J. |editor2=Koppelhus, Eva |title=Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed |chapter=Crocodylians |year=2005 |publisher=Indiana University Press |location=Bloomington |pages=[https://archive.org/details/dinosaurprovinci0000unse/page/277 277–291] |isbn=0-253-34595-2 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/dinosaurprovinci0000unse/page/277 }}
Phylogeny
Albertochampsa is a member of the family Alligatoridae, which includes the extant (living) alligators and caimans, although it is disputed whether Albertochampsa is more closely related to the alligators or the caimans. The below cladogram from a 2018 study shows Albertochampsa as more closely related to the caimans in the subfamily Caimaninae.{{Cite journal|author1=Paula Bona |author2=Martín D. Ezcurra |author3=Francisco Barrios |author4=María V. Fernandez Blanco |year=2018 |title=A new Palaeocene crocodylian from southern Argentina sheds light on the early history of caimanines |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=285 |issue=1885 |pages=20180843 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2018.0843 |pmid=30135152 |pmc=6125902 }}
{{clade| style=font-size:85%;line-height:85%
|label1=Alligatoridae
|sublabel1=(crown group)
|1={{clade
|1=Alligatorinae (stem-based group)
|label2=Caimaninae
|sublabel2=(stem-based group)
|2={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=Stangerochampsa{{extinct}}
|2=Albertochampsa{{extinct}}
|3=Brachychampsa{{extinct}} }}
|2={{clade
|1=Protocaiman{{extinct}}
|2={{clade
|1=Gnatusuchus{{extinct}}
|2={{clade
|1=Globidentosuchus{{extinct}}
|2={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=Eocaiman{{extinct}}
|2=Notocaiman{{extinct}} }}
|2={{clade
|1=Kuttanacaiman{{extinct}}
|2={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=Purussaurus{{extinct}}
|2=Mourasuchus{{extinct}} }}
|label2=crown group caimans
|2={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=Necrosuchus{{extinct}}
|2=Tsoabichi{{extinct}}
|3={{clade
|1=Paleosuchus trigonatus Smooth-fronted caiman
|2=Paleosuchus palpebrosus Cuvier's dwarf caiman }} }}
|2={{clade
|1=Centenariosuchus{{extinct}}
|2={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=Caiman latirostris Broad-snouted caiman
|2=Melanosuchus niger Black caiman }}
|2={{clade
|1={{clade
|1=Caiman yacare Yacare caiman
|2=Caiman crocodilus Spectacled caiman }}
|2={{clade
|1=Caiman brevirostris{{extinct}}
|2={{clade
|1=La Venta Caiman{{extinct}}
|2=Caiman wannlangstoni{{extinct}}
}} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}
The Late Cretaceous taxa Stangerochampsa, Brachychampsa and Albertochampsa have been previously referred to as stem-group caimans,{{cite journal |last1=Rio |first1=Jonathan P. |last2=Mannion |first2=Philip D. |date=6 September 2021 |title=Phylogenetic analysis of a new morphological dataset elucidates the evolutionary history of Crocodylia and resolves the long-standing gharial problem |journal=PeerJ |volume=9 |pages=e12094 |doi=10.7717/peerj.12094 |pmid=34567843 |pmc=8428266 |doi-access=free}} but Walter et al. (2022) recovered them as the basalmost alligatorines based on phylogenetic analysis and claimed that the earliest definitive stem-group caimans are known from the earliest Paleocene.{{cite journal| vauthors = Walter J, Darlim G, Massonne T, Aase A, Frey E, Rabi M |year=2022 |title=On the origin of Caimaninae: insights from new fossils of Tsoabichi greenriverensis and a review of the evidence |journal=Historical Biology |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=580–595 |doi=10.1080/08912963.2021.1938563 |s2cid=238723638 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Extinct Crocodilia|A.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q944221}}
Category:Late Cretaceous crocodylomorphs of North America
Category:Late Cretaceous reptiles of North America